LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A former Las Vegas police officer convicted of murdering a man in 1996 is set to be released from prison.
On Tuesday, prosecutors reached a guilty plea agreement with attorneys for Ronald Mortensen. Mortensen was originally convicted on first-degree murder charges related to the death of Daniel Mendoza.
Mortensen and another officer, Christopher Brady, were off-duty when the incident happened on Dec. 27, 1996.
Brady allegedly drove his truck recklessly through a neighborhood and he and Mortensen "thought they could get away with harassing" the "bangers and the dopers and the people in the neighborhood" because they were "nasty people."
Brady claimed Mortensen pointed a handgun out the window and fired several shots before the pair drove away.
FROM THE ARCHIVES l Watch Channel 13 archival footage from the trial of Ronald Mortensen
Mortensen has maintained his innocence claiming Brady was responsible for the shooting but had used Mortensen's gun because he couldn't reach his. Investigators testified that Brady's fingerprints were not on the firearm and eyewitnesses identified Mortensen as the gunman.
He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on July 25, 1997.
On March 31, 2025, a judge overturned that conviction and said Mortensen is entitled to a new trial. There were several reasons for that including prosecutors not fulfilling their burden to prove first degree murder, prosecutors didn't adequately instruct the jury, and the state suppressed some evidence that could have supported his defense.
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According to Mortensen's attorney David Westbrook, the DA's office was planning to retry the case. However, Mortensen asked for a plea bargain in order to get out of prison.
Westbrook and Mortensen asked to enter an Alford plea, which is when a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledge prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them. However, the DA's office did not agree to that.
Even though Mortensen says he is innocent, he agreed to plea guilty to lesser charges: second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The plea agreement is for a sentence between 14 to 35 years but Westbrook says Mortensen has enough credit to leave prison. He says Mortensen has about 29.5 years served with work time and credit for good behavior.
There is still no timetable as to when Mortensen could be released.
As of Wednesday morning, the Nevada Department of Corrections website shows that Mortensen is still in custody.
