‘Suga’ Shane Valentine, suspect in 2016 Las Vegas unsolved double homicide denied parole
LAS VEGAS — Shane Valentine, the on-again, off-again, on-again suspect in the 2016 Las Vegas unsolved Land/Kauffman murders was denied parole by the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners.
His next parole hearing will not be until July 2020.
As the Baltimore Post-Examiner previously reported, Valentine appeared before the parole board on October 3 to plead his case why he should be granted parole this month. He is currently incarcerated in the Warm Springs Correctional Facility in Northern Nevada. Valentine has been in prison since March 2017, after having been convicted of burglary and discharging a firearm into a structure.
Valentine was a convicted felon prior to being convicted of those charges, having served time in prison for assault with a deadly weapon and home invasion, and has a criminal history dating back to 2010. Valentine has also been a long-time Vegas pimp, but has never been charged for sex-trafficking.
Valentine obviously didn’t learn anything from being in prison, except maybe how to become a better criminal, because he added to his violent criminal history after being back on the street by committing more crimes.
On October 8, 2016, Valentine shot into the residence of Alethea Kauffman, the mother of Nehemiah “Neo” Kauffman whose body along with his girlfriend Sydney Land were later found murdered in their Southwest Las Vegas apartment on October 27, 2016, both shot in the head.
In our August 5 story, ‘EXCLUSIVE: Las Vegas Grand Jury evidence hints convicted felon ‘Suga’ Shane Valentine is a snitch,’ during an exchange of text messages between Valentine and Kauffman on the morning of October 8, 2016, while Valentine was threatening to kill Kauffman, Sydney Land and Kauffman’s family members, Kauffman accused Valentine of being a snitch.
During those text message exchanges obtained by the Baltimore Post-Examiner, Valentine texted Kauffman:
“Bitch call me.”
“I need that strap [gun]. Period.” “And Ima clip your bitch.” “Fade pussy.”
“Ima make your bitches watch.” “Fade.”
“Fade now or get popped later.”
“I’m goin to your momma house.”
“I’ll let Khari woop u since u young.”
“I’m comin to syd job [Sydney Land].”
“I’m at your moms.”
“U disrespect me I’ll kill u.”
“And you let that bitch talk bout your own nigga like that, Ima fuck u up for that too.”
“My niggas woop bitches who talk bad.”
“I’ll put my gun down and mangle u myself.”
“Ima kill your mom, and brother and bitch, if u don’t run the fade.”
“I came to your mom.”
“Open the garage.”
“Fade nigga.”
“Open it, unlock it, u can shoot wen I walk in, open up.”
“I’m outside, you wanna shoot.”
“I’m not alone, Joe here, DayDay here.”
“Check your garage pussy.”
“I ran right thru your garage, Go look.”
“Ima run into the house next.”
“Answer hoe, Front door”.
On-again, off-again, on-again suspect
On April 24, 2017, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Homicide Detective Mitchell Dosch told Connie Land, the mother of Sydney Land, that “Shane is still a suspect until I say he’s not.”
Apparently, Valentine was cleared as a suspect in the Land/Kauffman murders because after that statement by Dosch, on November 15, 2017, then LVMPD Homicide Lt. Dan McGrath, told the media that Shane Valentine, “At this time we can say he is not our suspect.”
However, that changed once again when on October 25, 2018, Metro Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer at a press briefing on the unsolved murders said, “We have not ruled out Shane Valentine as a suspect, we are still looking at him as a person of interest in this case.”
The LVMPD has been silent since then, which is probably a smart move on their part. “Loose lips sink ships” was the slogan during WWII and in this case loose lips by the police sinks cases.
Botched Land/Kauffman homicide investigation
As we reported in our October 13 story, ‘EXCLUSIVE: Las Vegas Metro Police text message confirms Vice Detectives outed Judge Melanie Andress-Tobiasson,” on April 27, 2018, Dosch texted Connie Land, “So many things happened since the murder happened that I’ve never seen before and I had zero control over. I won’t get into them, but they are well chronicled. Det. Grimmett and I are left to pick up the pieces and work toward a successful outcome despite all the “things” that have happened along to way. We are not going away.”
Since that story was published a few days ago I have received messages from retired police officers from across the country, who said that is the worst statement they have ever heard coming from a homicide detective about an active investigation.
Let’s dissect that statement from Dosch:
- So many things happened since the murder
- That I’ve never seen before
- And I had zero control over
- I won’t get into them
- But they are well chronicled
- Detective Grimmett and I are left to pick up the pieces.
To cut to the chase, what this sounds like to me, is that a series of events happened that was out of Dosch’s control that destroyed the entire homicide investigation.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo, do you care to explain to the Land and Kauffman families what happened?
Whoever, if ever, anyone is charged with these murders, it is going to be one hell of an uphill battle once it hits the judicial process. The discovery motions and depositions alone could be quite informative.
While I am on the subject of a botched homicide investigation, Joe do you care to comment on why you approved the turning over of crime scene photographs on an active double homicide investigation to Crime Watch Daily last year and allowed your detective to make comments about the DNA evidence?
Something else has been bothering me, Joe. How come you didn’t even have the decency to notify Connie and Steve Land that the crime scene photograph of their daughter Sydney’s body would be aired on national television?
Joe, that was a low-down dirty thing to do to the family whose daughter was brutally murdered.
Joe, here is another question. Why was only Sydney Land’s body shown and not Neo’s? Just asking. You approved everything before the show aired Joe, it’s all on you and to a lesser extent your deputy chief in charge of the Homicide Bureau who should have fought against it.
Joe, while I am on the subject of botched cases, remember the October 8, 2016 incident when Shane Valentine shot into the Kauffman residence?
I know you remember because I wrote several stories about that and I know you read my stories.
Joe, care to explain why your crime scene analyst failed to retrieve the bullet from the ceiling of the Kauffman residence that night. That’s still bugging the hell out of me, Joe. Joe let’s just say for sake of argument that Valentine committed the murders of Sydney Land and Nehemiah Kauffman less than three weeks later.
Joe, just for the record, I do believe Valentine had a motive to kill them based on his actions and statements on October 8, however others maybe have had a motive to commit the murders also, and as you know motive alone is not enough to prove someone did the crime. That being said I’m not 100% convinced that Valentine did commit the murders at this time.
Let’s just say he did. Joe wouldn’t that really be a disgrace if your department could have charged Valentine with shooting into the Kauffman residence prior to the murders, instead of closing out the case for lack of evidence (like the bullet that was left in the ceiling), and that would have prevented the murders.
Joe, the only shining light in this entire screwed up case is when Dosch went back to the Kauffman residence AFTER the murders and retrieved the bullet that should have been collected by your crime scene analyst on October 8.
That’s the reason why Valentine is currently incarcerated. Homicide made the case for Valentine shooting into the Kauffman residence, not any other detective who handled the case on October 8. As I said in a previous story, that was a damn good job by Dosch.
I also have questions Joe for your buddy, District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
Steve, how come your Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly never asked LVMPD Crime Scene Analyst Gabrielle Guerrero at the Grand Jury why she didn’t retrieve the bullet that night. Steve, it was the grand juror who had to ask Guerrero if she collected the bullet to which she replied no, and then your prosecutor stopped it there. Steve that stinks, smells dirty, just like the rest of this case.
So Joe and Steve, give me a call. You got my number. I’m waiting for some answers. Hey, we can do a ‘Cup of Joe.’ How about it? My treat.
Just when you think the homicide investigation couldn’t get any worse
Joe, please say it ain’t so, but well, it did.
On Tuesday the Baltimore Post-Examiner published, “Land/Kauffman Homicide: Murdered daughter’s father found evidence left behind by Las Vegas Metro Police at crime scene.
Yes, you read it right, that title is exactly correct. Read the story for yourself, it’s a freaking disgrace and sickening.
Hello, knock, knock, wake up Las Vegas media.
Why aren’t you following these stories up?
Pardon me, I forgot, as our readers continue to point out to us, if you want to know what’s going on in Las Vegas you have to go all the way to Baltimore.
Authors note: Rest in peace Brett Phillips, you put it all on the line for the truth, you did not back down and I am forever grateful. We will meet again.
Doug authored over 135 articles on the October 1, 2017 Las Vegas Massacre, more than any other single journalist in the country. He investigates stories on corruption, law enforcement and crime. Doug is a US Army Military Police Veteran, former police officer, deputy sheriff and criminal investigator. Doug spent 20 years in the hotel/casino industry as an investigator and then as Director of Security and Surveillance. He also spent a short time with the US Dept. of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration. In 1986 Doug was awarded Criminal Investigator of the Year by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia for his undercover work in narcotics enforcement. In 1992 and 1993 Doug testified in court that a sheriff’s office official and the county prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence during the 1988 trial of a man accused of the attempted murder of his wife. Doug’s testimony led to a judge’s decision to order the release of the man from prison in 1992 and awarded him a new trial, in which he was later acquitted. As a result of Doug breaking the police “blue wall of silence,” he was fired by the county sheriff. His story was featured on Inside Edition, Current Affair and CBS News’ “Street Stories with Ed Bradley”. In 1992 after losing his job, at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Doug infiltrated a group of men who were plotting the kidnapping of a Dupont fortune heir and his wife. Doug has been a guest on national television and radio programs speaking on the stories he now writes as an investigative journalist.
Doug,
Maybe you can look into this too! Why did DA Wolfson fail to submit the following attorneys salaries for 2018 Transparency Nevada submission by DA’s office.
His own, Liz Mercer, Nicole Cannizzaro, Michelle Fleck, Nick Portz, Sandy DiGiacomo, Mark DiGiacomo, & Jim Sweeten
Isn’t this the same Nicole Cannizzaro that article in NV Current dated 6-20-2019? Hmmm
Liz Mercer is costing the taxpayers in wages and that didn’t include the costs for all the corruption she has been involved in that had to be cleaned up, which have no doubt it cost that taxpayers! Now Wolfson gives her a promotion!!
Regular pay $133,686.60
Total Benefits $52,190.54
Absorb this one… Not only is Liz Mercer still working for the DA’s office after her involvement in the corruption in Flemings trial, but she has now been promoted to Team Chief of Gun Unit Crimes. Really Wolfson? Would you please explain this one.
Then to add insult to injury Henry Nicholas (Steve’s friend) who just got a plea from his buddy Steve and was to donate one million dollars to organizations 1/3 of the million dollars is being donated to a organization in which Liz Mercer is a board member and is a shell organization located in the vicinity in which Shane Valentine ran his girls out of. What’s up with that Wolfson?
No accountability for those who decided to be involves in corruption! Good job Wolfson!
Well at least defense attorney won’t have a problem convincing juries when Mercer is involved in any case since she was part of the corruption that went on and condoned it! Who can trust a prosecutor with that on her record!
The voters elected criminals far more dangerous and devastating than anyone they parade in front of the cameras as the criminals.
You got that right!
Election time should be fun!
And to add to it Judge’s meeting with three vice detectives was the afternoon before the shooting at Neo’s house, no coincidence.
The word is P.R. Is back in homicide and I hope he jumps in and helps Dosche and Grimmet. One bad a- – homicide detective!
A fresh set of eyes never hurt!
Looks like somebody woke up! Thanks to the parole board they seen Shane for who he really was and that he is nothing but a menace to society! I wouldn’t hold my breath if I was you Doug waiting for a cup of Joe. Not that it is any loss because all you would get anyway is a bunch of BS! Maybe Wolfson would be happy to explain why his office continuously pleas violent cases from these pimps, and why he allows his people to pull the BS that Mercer did and still collect a check. When we elected these two we weren’t looking for politicians and its exactly what Vegas got from both of them while they line their pockets! Wake up Vegas! The only hope the victims families have is homicide detectives who I believe are really trying, but Joe and Wolfson made their job a little harder! I just wonder had their children been the victims how they would have handled it.