August death of William ‘Skip’ Smith officially ruled a homicide

OMI’s report paints a violent picture of what led to Smith’s body being discovered in an alleyway between 5th Street and 6th Street on Aug. 16. Medical investigators located 24 stab wounds or cuts on Smith’s body, including wounds to his head, neck, chest and stomach, with several of those stab wounds puncturing vital organs.

The report also states that a knife was found near Smith’s body, under a shed; however, Las Vegas Police would not comment on the knife.

In a statement emailed to the Optic on Tuesday, Sgt. Elias Rael said LVPD has identified a “person of interest” in the case, but police would not release that person’s name.

“Further details at this time into this case could hinder this investigation,” Rael wrote in the email. “At this time, the case is still active and all paperwork is sealed through the courts and will not be released.”

Rael said the department’s Investigation Division is still actively working on the case and following leads.

In a previous statement emailed to the Optic on Aug. 30, Chief of Police David Bibb said that LVPD, the Las Vegas Public Works Department and the Las Vegas Utilities Department had searched two alleyways for clues in Smith’s death, but the search was difficult due to overgrown trees, plants and weeds.

OMI’s ruling officially makes Smith’s death the fourth homicide during a violent summer in Las Vegas.

On July 15, the body of Cruz Gallegos was found inside a home on the city’s west side. About six weeks later, Leroy Lucero was gunned down in the driveway of his west side home. And in early August, about two weeks before Smith was found dead, Marcos “Mark” Carrillo was found dead from a single gunshot wound at a home on Union Street. Gilbert Montoya was also found with multiple gunshot wounds at a nearby home, but he was taken to a hospital and survived his injuries.

Marcos R. Ruiz, 40, has been charged with first degree murder, a capital felony, in the shooting death of Carrillo. Ruiz faces an attempted murder charge in the shooting of Montoya as well. According to federal authorities, Ruiz is also a suspect in the death of Lucero, and Ruiz, his brother Arturo Ruiz and Juan Gallegos are suspects in the death of Cruz Gallegos.

OMI has not yet released autopsy results in the Sept. 14 death of 33-year-old Joseph Untalan, whose body was found in the Gallinas River just four weeks after Smith was killed. LVPD has said it is treating Untalan’s death as “suspicious.”

Smith was laid to rest Aug. 21 at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Las Vegas.