Man cleared in case
Jury clears suspect of murder, attempted murder in shooting
By GLENN PUIT REVIEW-JOURNAL

A man who claimed he shot two people in self-defense was cleared by a jury of murder and attempted murder charges Thursday.

Christopher A. Thomas, 24, was on trial this week in the February 2001 shootings of two men at the Desert Inn Mobile Estates, near Desert Inn Road and Nellis Boulevard. The shooting left Riley Bates, 25, dead, and Scott Dinwiddie, critically injured.

Dinwiddie, however, recovered from his injuries and testified against Thomas during the trial.

According to Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Scott Mitchell, the state alleged that Thomas and another man were attempting to carry out a drug-related robbery at the mobile home when the shooting unfolded. Mitchell said witnesses who were present testified to this account.

However, Thomas' attorney, Mace Yampolsky, said Thomas testified that Dinwiddie pulled a gun first and that Thomas acted in self-defense.

After roughly six hours of deliberation, Thomas was cleared of several charges, including burglary, attempted robbery with use of a deadly weapon, murder with use of a deadly weapon and attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.

Mitchell said the case was hampered by the questionable backgrounds of witnesses who were present at the drug transaction.

"Our two eyewitnesses who saw him shoot the victims were admittedly selling drugs," Mitchell said. "It is a very difficult case anytime you have victims that are in the middle of a commission of a crime when they are shot."

Yampolsky said the jury's decision was the correct one, and that Thomas plans to gain employment and move in with his father.

"He'll go back to being a normal citizen," Yampolsky said.