Suspect Accused of Killing Man at Hotel in Las Vegas Over $20 Gaming Voucher

A man has been arrested after he allegedly shot and killed another man inside a Las Vegas Strip hotel during an argument about a $20 gaming voucher, according to authorities.

On June 12, Christopher Mason, 40, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of 35-year-old Martell Merrill, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

According to authorities, a housekeeper at the Excalibur noticed an apparent blood stain coming out of a room door on June 11. She opened the door and saw Merrill’s body, so she called hotel security, who called the police.

On June 6, Mason checked into the room and was staying there with Merrill and another person. During the night of June 10, security called 911 after a woman reported that a man she knew as “Quise” had a gun to her boyfriend’s head, authorities said.

Her boyfriend was Merrill and she said they were talking on the phone when he got into a confrontation with another person over a $20 gaming voucher, court records stated. The girlfriend then heard a thud and then labored breathing. She notified security, but gave them the incorrect room number.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video and saw Mason get into an elevator the night of June 10 and leave the hotel, heading south on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Investigators checked Merrill’s phone and found a text message from Mason asking about the $20 gaming voucher. They also found a 23-minute phone call between Merrill and his girlfriend from that evening, so it corroborated her story.

Detectives talked with the girlfriend and showed her a photo of Mason and she identified him as the person she knew as “Quise,” officials said.

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Police located Mason on June 12 and he was taken into custody without further incident.

He was charged with open murder with a deadly weapon and is being held at Clark County Detention Center without bail.