E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Las Vegas Police Department
An undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows Jade Morris, 10.
LAS VEGAS -- Police issued a new plea for information Thursday about a 10-year-old girl last seen with a card dealer just hours before the woman was accused of slashing a co-worker's face with razor blades at a Las Vegas Strip casino.
Police said Brenda Stokes told them she visited her doctor last week, seeking to be admitted to a hospital because she was "feeling like she wanted to hurt someone." She is reported to have told investigators she hadn't taken her prescription anti-anxiety drug Friday, and that "Sometimes people just snap."
A missing persons alert was issued late Tuesday about Jade Morris, 10, who officials say was last seen by her family about 5 p.m. last Friday with Stokes, 50, who also uses the name Brenda Wilson.
Police said Stokes was a friend of the girl's father and was supposed to have taken the girl Christmas shopping at an outlet mall off Interstate 15 near downtown Las Vegas.
Capt. Chris Jones, a supervisor in the Police Department's robbery-homicide division, said Stokes borrowed a red 2007 Saab sedan from another friend for the shopping trip but returned it.
A short time later, Stokes was arrested at the Bellagio casino, after being accused of attacking a female co-worker, Joyce Rhone, as the woman dealt blackjack.
Stokes is accused of wielding a razor blade in each hand as she attacked Rhone, who was hospitalized with deep cuts on her face, including one from her ear to the edge of her mouth. A police arrest report said Rhone, 44, also had several smaller cuts around her right eye.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
Jade Morris' father interrupted an initial court appearance for Stokes, shouting, " “You said you love me? Where's my baby at?" NBC station KSNV of Las Vegas reported.
Records show that Stokes was being held Thursday on $60,000 bail at the Clark County jail on felony battery with a weapon, burglary and mayhem charges that could get her decades in prison.
She told a judge Wednesday that she had not obtained a lawyer. She is due again in Las Vegas Justice Court on Friday.
Clark County Detention Center
Brenda Stokes, 50, is shown in a booking photo.
The arrest report says casino video shows Stokes attacking Rhone before a casino patron and security officers intervene. Officer Marcus Martin said the video is evidence that may be shown by prosecutors in court but will not be made public by police.
Police said Stokes later told investigators that she attacked Rhone over harassing phone calls and an unspecified betrayal that ended their seven-year friendship.
Tejuana Reeves, Jade’s mother, told KSNV that she wanted to jump up and shake Stokes in the courtroom because she wouldn't say where the child was.
"From mother to mother, that feels so wrong," Reeves said. "I feel so betrayed because we trusted her with our child.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Snow, rain and winds hit Northeast as deadly winter storm continues
- Deadly NY fire ambush survivors: We're 'humbled'
- Police seek 7-foot tall robber on Chicago transit
- Russia's Putin: I'll sign law banning American adoptions
- Sandy relief center in New York looted, vandalized over Christmas
- Video: Family welcomes second Christmas baby
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Jade is a little doll and I hope she is found alive and safe. What a crazy beach to do something like this to another women. She was seen by several slashing a woman's face and is even on video captured permanently disfiguring another person. Old time justice would allow Jade's mother to torture the beach until she tells where the little one is, then old time justice would hang her. I'm kinda old-fashioned I guess.
This is what the father said so it made me assume they were in a relationship and much more than just friends as the article states but then the mother says:
So was she friends with the parents or was she dating the father? Are the parents together or not? I feel we need quite a bit more background info. If the parents were still together than I might assume he was having an affair with her and maybe she hurt the child to hurt the mother. Just too many unanswered questions on the background.
Either way I believe she must have hurt the child since she won't tell anyone where the girl is and attacked her co-worker. Any word on why she did that?
This confused me, too???
I hope they find her.
I am also confused, was this widely reported when she went missing or is this the first we are hearing of this?
Does it really matter? A child is missing!! What's more important to know; the whereabouts of the child or whether her father was sleeping with this woman?
Bearmer: you are correct a child is missing and that should be the focus. I hope that monster didn't kill her or and she is just hold up somewhere. Yes, my fingers are crossed and I am hoping beyond hope.
(This is how I read the adult relationship based on the story: Dad is dating is Stokes and trust her enough to be with and take out his child without supervision. Dad is no longer with the biological Mother, but they seems amicable towards each other. Biological mother knows about Dad's relationship with Stokes and trust that she would take care of her daughter like she was her own. I could be wrong, but that is what I got from the story.)
Black people. But hey, this is what our government wants, these are the people their policies are aimed at breeding; expect a LOT more of this in the next 5-25 years and beyond.
Ebeneser sounds like your baa hum bug...is still work'n...did ya have a white christmas...
I agree, the priority here is to find this child, and I hope she's safe.
However, this is such a poorly written article I had to read it twice to try to make sense of who's who, and try to figure out the sequence of events.
The local papers are reporting that a body fitting the description of Jade was discovered this afternoon. RIP little girl. This is awful.
I think you might be right, Jahmekan and Bearmer0124 I do agree the child is missing and that is the priority but sometimes the backstory helps in figuring out why or how she went missing.
I don't know why msnbc hasn't reported on this yet, but they found a girl's body in the desert. They are working to identify it, but they believe it is Jade. :*(
Mindie I came back for an update too and I think you are right. This breaks my heart. I hope someone get to that evil woman in prison and beat the snot out of her.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57561094-504083/jade-morris-update-police-expect-to-id-body-found-in-north-las-vegas-as-missing-girl-10/
That's the link to the story of the cops finding "the body".
sigh.
She be dead.
Oh Joe way to go. Try being optimistic for once.
Let's hope not. But that woman with her is a real LV fruitcake.
"She be dead?" where did you learn grammer? also how heartless of a comment to post
@Joe - it is so sad that you would say something like that. It is also sad that you would use bad grammar to do it! I suppose you were trying to be funny, but you really are not funny and you aren't clever.
Must be country music. No class rednecks.
Poor little thing - this doesn't sound very good to me. I know the parents must be going through a lot right now but they need to stay strong and try to convince this sick person to tell authorities where she is. If the Father had a relationship with the woman they should put them in a room together and see if he can't convince her to tell him where she is.
As much as I hate to agree with Mr.Scatone I believe this beauitful little girl is dead, only God know what this baby went through,that is why she can't tell where Jade is because she has killed this baby. Lord Jesus you said we are living in violent times and we sure are.Please folk's stop leaving your children with crazy people, if they act odd they are odd okay. I hope we are both wrong!
We need to stop trying to medicate away all mental illnesses and start keeping the mental in treatment facilities where they can't hurt anyone besides themselves...
Tim-874396
Great idea, Dr. Tim. Now go learn something about the mentally ill.
What I don't understand is, Ms Stokes/Wilson supposedly went to a doctor about the feeling she was having about wanting to hurt someone, why didn't the doctor take her statement seriously and help her get admitted to a hospital?
If the police can corroborate this, I think she might have a good defense, and the doctor she saw might be liable for malpractice.
amen..you have it right!!
what if he the doctor tried to get her into a hospital and she refuse to go? I guess he could have called the police and told them she is a threat to her self and the public, them the police would have had to lock her up. I guess? and why did the dad and mother allow there daughter to go with her, if it walk like a duck and look like a duck it is a duck in other word's if she was acting odd then she is odd. this woman even went to see a doctor, that right there should tell you something. but we put a lot of trust in friendship.
you're right . HIPPA laws states that if you report to a professional that you want to hurt yourself, someone else, or you disclose crimes against children it has to be reported. If that's what happened. She refuses to disclose where the child is... she could be lying about visiting the doctor. I pray this adorable child is found.
Many mental hospitals were closed ages ago, to "save" tax dollars and to eliminate the idea that there would be abusive Nurse Ratcheds working at in them. So the mentally ill and handicapped were dumped back into the communities from which they came, with limited funds that keep getting limited year after year, to sleep on heating grates or to threaten and assault their relatives and caregivers, some who are unpaid Nurse Ratcheds, until the police put them down into a jail cell or a grave.
(Is anyone aware of any Congressional leader who has offered to take a pay-cut, or give up his or her Congressional salary?)
Jim Mattheson refused a pay raise in 2008 and has donated it every year. This is why I have voted for him several times. He is just good.
essentialeducator.org/?p=13864
Perhaps the doctor did. Other than "last week", we don't know the timing of when she stated this and what her exact words were. See, when it comes to involuntary hospital stays for mental health a couple of things to keep in mind 1) the length of stay is typically 72 - 96 hours. If she didn't make anymore threats to herself or others during this stay, then she has to be released. 2) Threats have to be against a specific person - if she simply said "I feel like I want to hurt someone", but never specified who that "someone" was, it becomes very difficult to involuntarily admit someone, even for a short period.
Too many Americans need to be licenced and cleared before they are allowed to have kids.
This child wasn't hers and we don't know if she has any children of her own. I don't know about you but if i was in a relationship with someone and they were on medications for some sort of mental issue, anxiety, depression, etc, i sure as hell wouldn't be letting that person take my kid anywhere, especially alone.
That is a right that God gave woman that she may bear a child,I don't want the Gov.trying to licence and clear me that I might bear a child, the govt can't control violence so why would I want the govt to rule my life.
That might be a bit extreme, depending on the mental health issue. I have OCD (which is an anxiety disorder) - I am a single parent of two boys. Of course, my obsessive thought revolve around something bad happening to my kids and other family members, my compulsions are counting and cleaning. The compulsions help keep the obsessions at bay. I would never, ever harm my kids, or anyone else (unless they were trying to harm my kids). I do take medication for my OCD -- it helps keep the obsessions at bay better so that I spend 2 - 3 hours a day on my compulsions instead of 8 - 10 hours. Of course, I monitor my medications and the way I feel very carefully.
That said, if the person had certain other mental health issues, I would also not allow my kids to be alone with that person.
Oh no. I read about the fight between the two dealers te other day. I hope they find the little girl FAST. Please find her.
Where is all the pastor's have any body notice how satan is attacking the innocent and the very old, and I don't hear any men of God crying out to the believer to pray to God to protect the innocent's. and all you people who don't believe please notice that I said (BELIEVER's) not none believer,so you can save your self the trouble of jumping all over me.
Satan isnt attacking anybody fool..by the way how many Satanists do you hear about molesting little kids? oh yeah those are all Christians
Ill bet you 10000 bucks this lady who did this considers herself a "believer"
People like you are the reason us non believers find christianity so ignorant
that is why I said believer's" if you don't believe what is it to you? you just wasted your time on me and may God bless you, I will not get into a conversation about God with you and yes you are right I will be a fool for Jesus any day of the week" Thank You sir. may God Bless your life.
John my sweet, you are the fool. A person can claim to be anything. People pretend to be cops all the time and hurt innocent people (as an example). Just because someone is supposedly a Christian, does not mean they are where it counts, in the eyes of GOD.
We have opened the doorway for Satan. The more we push God into the darkness, the more we allow evil to envelop the world. Our Nation has been pretty safe compared to so many across the globe because we had strong faith, and we kept God in School.
I'm a Christian, and I will pray Jones.
This has nothing to do with opening the door to satan! She was mentally ill.
Liars, cheaters, and slashers; what a great gathering to expose a child too. So the hospital that saw the slasher let her go even though she said she did not take her medication and sometimes "people snap." Hospital should be charged as an accessory to the slashing and kidnapping; shortly to be found as a murder. Come on people; if you are nutz, you are always going to be insane..no matter how many neuroleptics, SSRI's , or anything else you take or don't take. And if you think you can help someone like this; remember Lanza's mother. she thought she knew how to take care of her son too. stay away from these abnormalities--far far away; let them seek each other out and act upon their "urges."
Crazy things happen around crazy people no doubt but I'm for holding out hope for Jade. Until then concentrate on making the bit#h talk.
Give Stokes some incentive to talk. Tell Stokes that if they find the girl without her help they will do to her exactly what happened to the girl, but if she helps in finding the girl they will allow the court to decide her fate. If only the justice system worked like that :(
unfortunately this looks like a child abduction gone bad.
Not an abduction when the parents trusted this woman with their child. What article did you read?
If people do not return your child at the appointed time, they have abducted them. That being said, yes, these people did trust her with the child. This is the exact reason why I trust no one with my daughter. Until she could talk she didn't have babysitting. Now she's seven, she is allowed to go to family's house. If she has a play date, I make damn sure I am friends with the mother, and then I tag along. She doesn't play outside on her own, I watch her. It's just too scary. I hate it because when I was a child I had almost unlimited freedom, but as the population increases so do the number of wackos.
Yes she is so crazy that she can make the statement "sometimes people just snap"..Yup and sometimes people go to prison for life...
And sometimes people in prison get hurt for hurting children. Fingers crossed! I think she was trying to set up a good insanity defense for herself so she would just get put in a mental hospital then released when she was "Cured"
Wow! The father was in a relationship with this woman? He saw no signs of crazy before he allowed his little girl to be with her alone? Yikes! Poor little girl. I hope they find her OK, but this doesn't sound good.
Come on, folks! We must weed out these crazy psychos - male and female. Pay attention to who these people are! Keep the kids safe, at the very least, please!
they waited three days before contacting police and having an alert issued? Friday to Tuesday?
makes me wonder if the father was in some way involved...
Yup,kinda' makes you wonder...
...
Another case of profiling.
And a woman at that.
Looks like the repugs at work again.
...
And just how is this profiling?
Profiling? You do know that this child is black, correct? And yet you're more worried about the possible "profiling" of some skanky woman than an innocent child? Look at the pictures!
You are so ignorant it makes me wonder.
This woman needs to get her a** beat constantly in prison. EVERY day. Until her life is over. I have ZERO tolerance for people that hurt children!!!
My fear is that you hear there are a lot of sickos out there willing to do whatever to have sex which a child, who's to say this crazy lady didn't sell her to a pimp or give her to someone for payment for a debt owed. This may be even worse than death for this beautiful child. Let's hope all of our negative thoughts are wrong and she is found safe, prayers to you Jade.
Torture her until she talks!
I hope this little girl is found safe and unharmed, although I know the odds are very slim. We as a nation have got to address the fact that we have a large dangerous number of mentally ill people among us and something has to be done.
This lady obviously suffers from a mental condition and yet these parents allowed her to take their daughter shopping.None of them will ever be given the parent of the year award.I hope that this little girl is found safe and sound but after a week it's not likely.
How long are we going to use the "mentally ill" cardm on this garbage. Beat the hell out of this human slug until she tells where this little girl is, "mentally ill" my a**!!
What the xxx is with people these days???? Sheeeshhhh.
Tie Stokes down and make her talk with some of her own razor blades. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. I'd be willing to bet that on the very first cut, she would start talking. Oh and please spare me the b.s. of torture. She gets whatever she deserves. Make her talk, there are many ways to get information from her. Use one them!
Political Correctness will keep this woman from doing any real hard time. A few years and then out on the street again.