A man found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the Nevada desert was forced to walk off its edge by a neighbor whose children he babysat and two of her friends, say investigators from the Nye County Sheriff’s Department.
The body of Roy Jaggers, 27, was discovered Aug. 1 in Cathedral Canyon, about 30 miles west of Las Vegas, the agency says. Details of the case emerged as the three suspects appeared in court this week.
After the arrests, the sheriff’s department released this account:
On July 31, Jaggers was lured to the home of a 27-year-old woman who lived near the house he shared with his mother on Las Vegas’ east side. He had occasionally babysat her sons, who are 3 and 4 years old, and she apparently alleged he had hurt one of the boys.
The woman, her 36-year-old boyfriend and a 37-year-old man described as her former lover allegedly handcuffed Jaggers and took him first to a shooting range in Pahrump and then to Cathedral Canyon, a quirky religious tourist attraction of the 1970s and ’80s that has since slid into ruin.
The three allegedly tortured Jaggers, beating, burning and stabbing him. Finally, he was forced to strip off his clothes and walk off a 30-foot cliff. As he lay at its base, the ex-boyfriend allegedly shot him.
Around 6:30 the following morning, a 911 call reported the body. It was identified through fingerprints linked to an old misdemeanor trespassing citation against Jaggers.
The cause of death was determined to be shotgun wounds.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal said Jaggers had experience as an electrician and contractor but during the COVID-19 pandemic had taken on side jobs, including working at a convenience store. His friends and parents said he was passionate about martial arts, music, anime and hiking. He had no criminal history other than the trespassing citation.
The three suspects were arrested within 36 hours of the 911 call. They have been charged with murder with a deadly weapon and kidnapping with a deadly weapon.
According to the Review-Journal, the boys’ father, in seeking custody of them after the mother’s arrest, said that the children had witnessed part of the attack on Jaggers.
At a court appearance this week, the pretrial hearing was postponed until Sept. 30 after defense attorneys requested more time to prepare.
