Sierra Halseth and Aaron Guerrero Pled Guilty to Murder and Arson
Teen girl and her boyfriend were sentenced to life imprisonment for stabbing and killing the girl’s father.
According to prosecutors, two individuals stabbed Daniel Halseth, 45, 70 times and attempted to dismember him with circular saw and chainsaw before setting his home ablaze, before killing was discovered in his garage in Las Vegas on April 9, 2021.
Prosecutors allege the teens stabbed the victim several times to cause serious injuries, before cutting his body apart and placing his remains into a sleeping bag stuffed with wire before torching his home, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal report. They could then be seen smiling and celebrating their actions via YouTube video footage posted online by one of them allegedly guilty parties.
Sierra Halseth, 16, and Aaron Guerrero, 20, each plead guilty to nine charges in this case, such as murder with a deadly weapon, arson, robbery with deadly weapons, fraudulent use of credit cards and four counts of fraudulent use of credit cards. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 22 years.
Court documents revealed that Guerrero and Daniel Halseth had been dating from June through December 2020, though their parents forbade any contact after discovering they planned to run away together. Guerrero ran away from home the day before Daniel Halseth died, with Guerrero purchasing tools such as circular saw blades, saw blades, bleach, lighter fluid, disposable gloves and drop cloth from stores near his residence before purchasing hundreds of dollars from Daniel’s bank accounts and withdrawing it themselves, according to arresting documents.
Investigators allege the teen couple was under the influence of alcohol when they killed the victim. A search of Halseth’s home revealed blood-stained items throughout, as well as a chainsaw in her garage and a cinder block with an “X” burn mark burned into it, along with signs that nearby fencing had been cut away and wood cut from behind the property, according to police reports.
Guerrero and Halseth were arrested in Utah after authorities identified them via social media searches and surveillance footage, according to police. Both individuals have been charged with murder, arson, robbery and fraud according to Las Vegas Review-Journal; they cannot face capital punishment due to being under 16 years of age in Nevada.
Therapists who specialize in working with teenagers and young adults were not surprised to see Guerrero and Halseth discussing murder on YouTube, noting how young people growing up immersed in technology often find no barriers between expressing their thoughts and expressing them freely online. She pointed to prior trauma or major changes in living arrangements as possible factors that might prompt individuals to act; further encouraging parents to communicate more with their children.