Utah man beaten to death in Las Vegas

Updated: 7/06/2011 5:42 pm | Published: 7/06/2011 2:55 pm

LAS VEGAS (ABC 4 News) - Police say a Utah man was beaten to death following an altercation at a Las Vegas casino on Wednesday.

According to Las Vegas Police, patrol officers responded to a report of a man who was unconscious and not breathing on the floor of O'Sheas Casino at the 3500 block of Las Vegas Boulevard at around 12:45 a.m.

The man was transported to Desert Springs Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.

He was later identified as John Massie, a tourist in the area. Some reports suggest a racial comment may have sparked the exchange between the two men.

According to police, Massie was struck once, and fell to the ground. He never moved again.

Benjamin Gerard Hawkins

Officers later contacted and questioned 37-year-old Benjamin Gerard Hawkins, and determined that Hawkins and the victim had been engaged in some sort of verbal altercation while in the casino restroom.

Police say the argument continued outside of the restroom, at which time Hawkins struck Massie in the face, killing him.

Police say Hawkins was arrested and booked into jail for one count of Open Murder.

Anyone with any information regarding this latest incident is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 385-5555, on the internet at www.crimestoppersofnv.com, or the LVMPD Homicide Section at 828-3521.

----Information from: Las Vegas Metro Police Dept.