A man allegedly shot his friend dead over a missing $20 gambling voucher on the Las Vegas Strip. A housekeeper found the victim, Martell Merrill, in his room at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. Law enforcement officers discovered a significant amount of narcotics in the room, including a “white powdery substance” and a “green leafy substance.”

Local man Christopher Mason, whose name was on the room, is now facing a murder charge. The victim’s girlfriend had left the room to go smoke a marijuana cigarette at the Luxor Hotel and Casino at the time of the shooting.

her boyfriend sounded scared and begged Mason not to shoot him

She was on the phone with Merrill on Saturday night when she overheard an argument about the missing gambling voucher. She described how her boyfriend sounded scared and begged Mason not to shoot him. Then she heard a big thud, labored breathing, and silence.

Upon returning to the hotel, the girlfriend could not remember the correct room number. After being searched in the security office, she was arrested for having a bag of cocaine in her purse. It wasn’t until the following afternoon that the housekeeper found the victim’s body.