Jeremy Strohmeyer
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Strohmeyer is a Long Beach, California
man who molested and murder
ed 7-year-old South Los Angeles
elementary school student Sherrice Iverson (October 20, 1989 – May 25, 1997) at Primadonna Resort and Casino
in Primm, Nevada
, on May 25, 1997.
The case drew national attention by focusing on the safety of children in casino
s and on the revelation that Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash Jr., said he saw the crime in progress but did not stop it.
, near the California border. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach
.
At around 4 a.m., Strohmeyer began repeatedly making apparently "playful" contact with 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson, who was roaming the casino alone. The young girl's father was gambling
and drinking. Her older brother Harold was supposed to be watching her but failed to do so resulting in Sherrice running around unmonitored. Eventually, Strohmeyer followed Sherrice into a women's restroom.
While in the restroom, the two began throwing wet paper wads at one another. Sherrice then reportedly tossed a yellow plastic "Wet Floor" sign at Strohmeyer. At around this time Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash, entered the restroom and witnessed Strohmeyer forcibly take Iverson into a stall. When Cash looked in from the adjacent stall, he saw Strohmeyer holding his left hand over Iverson's mouth and fondling her with his right. After this, Cash left the restroom and was followed 20 minutes later by Strohmeyer, who immediately confessed to him that he had molested and killed the girl.
Three days later, Strohmeyer was taken into custody at his home after two classmates in Long Beach identified him after security tape footage captured by cameras at the casino was released by Nevada police and played on the television news. Strohmeyer was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping
, and sexual assault
of a minor. When questioned by police, Strohmeyer stated that he molested Iverson and strangled her to stifle her screams. Before leaving, Strohmeyer noticed Iverson was still alive and twisted her head in an attempt to break her neck, and after hearing a loud popping sound, rested her body in a sitting position on the toilet with her feet in the bowl. Strohmeyer's attorneys later tried to have the confession suppressed because he was not given legal counsel. However, the police claimed that Strohmeyer waived his right to have an attorney present during questioning.
, who represented many high-profile clients, including the Menendez brothers
. Strohmeyer claimed he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time and did not remember committing the crimes. It was even suggested that perhaps the witness, David Cash, had, in fact, been the one to murder Sherrice, as Strohmeyer claimed to have no recollection of his actions and the witness was the one to actually tell him what he had seen him doing in the bathroom that night. Abramson also noted that Strohmeyer's biological father is in prison and his biological mother is in a mental hospital
.
Strohmeyer's trial was scheduled to begin in September 1998. According to prosecutors, Strohmeyer hoarded pornography
, including pornographic images of children
, and admitted fantasizing
about sex with young girls. Allegedly, prior to the murder, Strohmeyer wrote in an Internet
chat room
that "I fantasize about having sex with 5-and 6-year-old girls all the time", although Abramson claimed prosecutors could not prove the message came from him. Prosecutors also claimed that Strohmeyer had asked his former girlfriend to dress up as a school girl for him.
Strohmeyer was originally facing a possible death sentence
for the murder (had the case gone to trial), but hours before his trial was to start, Abramson entered a plea bargain on his behalf. On September 8, 1998, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to four charges: first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a minor with substantial bodily harm, and sexual assault on a minor. On October 14, 1998, he was sentenced to four life terms, one for each crime he pleaded guilty to, to be served consecutively without possibility of parole
.
, a maximum security prison located north of Ely, Nevada
where most prisoners in Nevada who are serving life without parole are imprisoned for at least the early portion of their sentences. He was placed in administrative segregation, meaning that he was not placed in the general inmate population, but rather in his own cell in a special secured section. His prison number was #059389. Strohmeyer was reportedly transferred to the Lovelock Correctional Center
in Lovelock, Nevada
where he is classified as "medium" custody.
In 2000, he was unsuccessfully defended by Camille Abate
. Strohmeyer recanted his confession and accused Abramson of lying to him and bullying him into pleading guilty in order to cover up her misunderstandings about Nevada Law. Strohmeyer's new attorneys also suggested that Abramson wanted him to plead guilty because Strohmeyer's parents could not afford to pay her additional funds if the case went to trial. Abramson denied all the allegations. Ultimately, his appeal
was rejected.
In 2001, the Nevada Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Strohmeyer to cancel his guilty plea. In January 2006, Strohmeyer lost a federal court bid to review his case.
parents filed a $1 million lawsuit against Los Angeles County and its adoption workers. They claimed that social work
ers deliberately withheld crucial information that would have stopped them from adopting him as an infant. Specifically, they claimed they were never told that Strohmeyer's biological mother had severe mental problems, including that she suffered from chronic schizophrenia
and had been hospitalized more than 60 times prior to Strohmeyer's birth.
However, the Strohmeyers have stated that they will continue to support their adopted son despite the fact that he will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison.
In the weeks following Strohmeyer's arrest, Cash told the Los Angeles Times
that he did not dwell on the murder of Sherrice Iverson. "I'm not going to get upset over somebody else's life. I just worry about myself first. I'm not going to lose sleep over somebody else's problems." He also told the newspaper that the publicity surrounding the case had made it easier for him to "score with women." Cash also told the Long Beach Press-Telegram
: "I'm no idiot ... I'll get my money out of this."
Cash would go on to face being labeled "the bad Samaritan," and also the target of a campaign by students who attempted to get him kicked out of UC Berkeley for not stopping the crime. Two local Los Angeles radio hosts subsequently held a rally to have Cash expelled from the University of California at Berkeley, but University officials stated that they had no basis to remove him since he was not convicted of any crime.
Cash did express equivocal remorse
over Iverson's death in a radio interview, stating that "I have a lot of remorse toward the Iverson family. It was a very tragic event...The simple fact remains I don't know this little girl ... I don't know people in Panama or Africa who are killed every day, so I can't feel remorse for them. The only person I know is Jeremy Strohmeyer", but still insisted that he did nothing wrong.
State Assembly Bill 267, requiring people to report to authorities when they have reasonable suspicions that a child younger than 18 is being sexually abused
or violently treated. The impetus for the bill stemmed from the inaction of a witness, and friend of the murderer, who stood by and did nothing during the commission of the crime.
The "Sherrice Iverson" bill, introduced by Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins
(D-Henderson
), provides for a fine and possible jail time for anyone who fails to report a crime of the nature that led to the creation of the bill. The bill was enacted in 2000.
even in small arcades.
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
man who molested and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed 7-year-old South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
elementary school student Sherrice Iverson (October 20, 1989 – May 25, 1997) at Primadonna Resort and Casino
Primm Valley Resort
Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resort is a hotel and casino located in Primm, an unincorporated area in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It includes the Primm Valley Golf Club across the border in California.The hotel offers 624 rooms and suites...
in Primm, Nevada
Primm, Nevada
Primm is a tiny community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, primarily notable for its position straddling Interstate 15 where it crosses the border between California and Nevada...
, on May 25, 1997.
The case drew national attention by focusing on the safety of children in casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s and on the revelation that Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash Jr., said he saw the crime in progress but did not stop it.
The crime
In the early morning hours of May 25, 1997, two men, Jeremy Strohmeyer (age 18) and David Cash, Jr. (age 17), were at the Primadonna Resort & Casino at Primm, NevadaPrimm, Nevada
Primm is a tiny community in Clark County, Nevada, United States, primarily notable for its position straddling Interstate 15 where it crosses the border between California and Nevada...
, near the California border. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
.
At around 4 a.m., Strohmeyer began repeatedly making apparently "playful" contact with 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson, who was roaming the casino alone. The young girl's father was gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and drinking. Her older brother Harold was supposed to be watching her but failed to do so resulting in Sherrice running around unmonitored. Eventually, Strohmeyer followed Sherrice into a women's restroom.
While in the restroom, the two began throwing wet paper wads at one another. Sherrice then reportedly tossed a yellow plastic "Wet Floor" sign at Strohmeyer. At around this time Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash, entered the restroom and witnessed Strohmeyer forcibly take Iverson into a stall. When Cash looked in from the adjacent stall, he saw Strohmeyer holding his left hand over Iverson's mouth and fondling her with his right. After this, Cash left the restroom and was followed 20 minutes later by Strohmeyer, who immediately confessed to him that he had molested and killed the girl.
Three days later, Strohmeyer was taken into custody at his home after two classmates in Long Beach identified him after security tape footage captured by cameras at the casino was released by Nevada police and played on the television news. Strohmeyer was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, and sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
of a minor. When questioned by police, Strohmeyer stated that he molested Iverson and strangled her to stifle her screams. Before leaving, Strohmeyer noticed Iverson was still alive and twisted her head in an attempt to break her neck, and after hearing a loud popping sound, rested her body in a sitting position on the toilet with her feet in the bowl. Strohmeyer's attorneys later tried to have the confession suppressed because he was not given legal counsel. However, the police claimed that Strohmeyer waived his right to have an attorney present during questioning.
Plea bargain
Strohmeyer's defense attorney was Leslie AbramsonLeslie Abramson
Leslie Hope Abramson is an American criminal defense attorney best known for her role in the legal defense of Lyle and Erik Menendez....
, who represented many high-profile clients, including the Menendez brothers
Lyle and Erik Menendez
Joseph Lyle Menendez and Erik Galen Menendez are brothers who are known for their conviction in a highly publicized trial for the shotgun murders in 1989 of their wealthy parents, entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Mary "Kitty" Menendez , residents of Beverly Hills, California...
. Strohmeyer claimed he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time and did not remember committing the crimes. It was even suggested that perhaps the witness, David Cash, had, in fact, been the one to murder Sherrice, as Strohmeyer claimed to have no recollection of his actions and the witness was the one to actually tell him what he had seen him doing in the bathroom that night. Abramson also noted that Strohmeyer's biological father is in prison and his biological mother is in a mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
.
Strohmeyer's trial was scheduled to begin in September 1998. According to prosecutors, Strohmeyer hoarded pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, including pornographic images of children
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, and admitted fantasizing
Sexual fantasy
A sexual fantasy, also called an erotic fantasy, is a fantasy or pattern of thoughts with the effect of creating or enhancing sexual feelings; in short, it is "almost any mental imagery that is sexually arousing or erotic to [an] individual"...
about sex with young girls. Allegedly, prior to the murder, Strohmeyer wrote in an Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
that "I fantasize about having sex with 5-and 6-year-old girls all the time", although Abramson claimed prosecutors could not prove the message came from him. Prosecutors also claimed that Strohmeyer had asked his former girlfriend to dress up as a school girl for him.
Strohmeyer was originally facing a possible death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
for the murder (had the case gone to trial), but hours before his trial was to start, Abramson entered a plea bargain on his behalf. On September 8, 1998, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to four charges: first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a minor with substantial bodily harm, and sexual assault on a minor. On October 14, 1998, he was sentenced to four life terms, one for each crime he pleaded guilty to, to be served consecutively without possibility of parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
.
Imprisonment
Strohmeyer was initially incaracerated at Ely State PrisonEly State Prison
Ely State Prison is a maximum security penitentiary located in unincorporated White Pine County, Nevada, north of Ely. The facility, operated by the Nevada Department of Corrections, opened in July 1989. Phase I was completed and opened in August of that year. Phase II was completed in the month of...
, a maximum security prison located north of Ely, Nevada
Ely, Nevada
Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906...
where most prisoners in Nevada who are serving life without parole are imprisoned for at least the early portion of their sentences. He was placed in administrative segregation, meaning that he was not placed in the general inmate population, but rather in his own cell in a special secured section. His prison number was #059389. Strohmeyer was reportedly transferred to the Lovelock Correctional Center
Lovelock Correctional Center
Lovelock Correctional Center is a Nevada Department of Corrections prison in unincorporated Pershing County, Nevada, near Lovelock.-History:Lovelock is located in Pershing County and is the seventh major institution of the Nevada Department of Corrections. It was constructed and opened in two...
in Lovelock, Nevada
Lovelock, Nevada
Lovelock is a city in western Nevada that is the county seat of Pershing County, the location of a prison, and the namesake of the area's Cold War gunnery range...
where he is classified as "medium" custody.
Appeals
Jeremy Strohmeyer subsequently appealed his conviction.In 2000, he was unsuccessfully defended by Camille Abate
Camille Abate
Camille M. Abate is a Democratic Party politician, criminal defense and civil rights attorney, and author from New Jersey. She lives with her husband and three teenage boys in Glen Rock, New Jersey.-2006 Democratic Primary:...
. Strohmeyer recanted his confession and accused Abramson of lying to him and bullying him into pleading guilty in order to cover up her misunderstandings about Nevada Law. Strohmeyer's new attorneys also suggested that Abramson wanted him to plead guilty because Strohmeyer's parents could not afford to pay her additional funds if the case went to trial. Abramson denied all the allegations. Ultimately, his appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
was rejected.
In 2001, the Nevada Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Strohmeyer to cancel his guilty plea. In January 2006, Strohmeyer lost a federal court bid to review his case.
Lawsuit by Adoptive Parents
In October 1999, Strohmeyer's adoptiveAdoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
parents filed a $1 million lawsuit against Los Angeles County and its adoption workers. They claimed that social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
ers deliberately withheld crucial information that would have stopped them from adopting him as an infant. Specifically, they claimed they were never told that Strohmeyer's biological mother had severe mental problems, including that she suffered from chronic schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and had been hospitalized more than 60 times prior to Strohmeyer's birth.
However, the Strohmeyers have stated that they will continue to support their adopted son despite the fact that he will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison.
David Cash
Sherrice Iverson's mother demanded that David Cash, Jr., be charged as an accessory, but authorities stated there was not enough evidence connecting him to the actual crime, and Cash was never prosecuted for any offense related to the murder.In the weeks following Strohmeyer's arrest, Cash told the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
that he did not dwell on the murder of Sherrice Iverson. "I'm not going to get upset over somebody else's life. I just worry about myself first. I'm not going to lose sleep over somebody else's problems." He also told the newspaper that the publicity surrounding the case had made it easier for him to "score with women." Cash also told the Long Beach Press-Telegram
Long Beach Press-Telegram
The Press-Telegram is a daily newspaper published in Long Beach, California. Tracing its history to 1897, it is currently published by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of newspaper conglomerate MediaNews Group, which purchased the newspaper from Knight Ridder in 1997; Ridder and Knight...
: "I'm no idiot ... I'll get my money out of this."
Cash would go on to face being labeled "the bad Samaritan," and also the target of a campaign by students who attempted to get him kicked out of UC Berkeley for not stopping the crime. Two local Los Angeles radio hosts subsequently held a rally to have Cash expelled from the University of California at Berkeley, but University officials stated that they had no basis to remove him since he was not convicted of any crime.
Cash did express equivocal remorse
Remorse
Remorse is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment...
over Iverson's death in a radio interview, stating that "I have a lot of remorse toward the Iverson family. It was a very tragic event...The simple fact remains I don't know this little girl ... I don't know people in Panama or Africa who are killed every day, so I can't feel remorse for them. The only person I know is Jeremy Strohmeyer", but still insisted that he did nothing wrong.
The Sherrice Iverson bill
Sherrice Iverson's murder led to the passage of NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
State Assembly Bill 267, requiring people to report to authorities when they have reasonable suspicions that a child younger than 18 is being sexually abused
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
or violently treated. The impetus for the bill stemmed from the inaction of a witness, and friend of the murderer, who stood by and did nothing during the commission of the crime.
The "Sherrice Iverson" bill, introduced by Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins
Richard Perkins (politician)
Richard Perkins is the former Speaker of the Nevada Assembly. Born in Boulder City, Nevada he became a police officer, eventually rising to become the Chief of Police in Henderson, Nevada....
(D-Henderson
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
), provides for a fine and possible jail time for anyone who fails to report a crime of the nature that led to the creation of the bill. The bill was enacted in 2000.
Increased Security at Nevada Casinos
As a result of this murder, hotels in Nevada increased security in their arcades, often having a security guardSecurity guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
even in small arcades.