Body of missing girl found in empty Las Vegas lot

This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows Jade Moris, 10, who police are searching for after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. / AP Photo/Las Vegas Police Department

LAS VEGAS The weeklong search for a Las Vegas girl ended Friday afternoon when officials confirmed that a small body found in an undeveloped housing tract belonged to the missing child.

The Clark County coroner's office said a body discovered Thursday belongs to 10-year-old Jade Morris, who police had been searching for since Christmas Day. She died of multiple stab wounds, the coroner's office said.

Jade was last seen Dec. 21 with family friend Brenda Stokes Wilson, who picked her up to go Christmas shopping.

• Missing Las Vegas girl, 10, linked to suspect in Bellagio casino fight

Wilson, 50, returned the car she had borrowed for the outing to a friend two hours later. Jade never came back.

Investigators later found blood on the driver's door and steering wheel of the 2007 Saab sedan.

Later that night, Wilson was wrestled to the ground with razors in each hand after allegedly slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio casino.

A judge raised her bail to from $60,000 to $600,000 on Friday morning after she was identified as the prime suspect in the child's killing.

"As soon as we get all the evidence in that we need, we'll book her on the murder charges," Las Vegas police homicide Capt. Chris Jones said.

Wilson has been jailed since the 21st on felony battery with a weapon, burglary and mayhem charges that could get her decades in prison.

Police said she offered no help in the search for the missing girl. Murder and kidnapping charges could get her life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

On Thursday, Las Vegas police responding to a 911 call found a girl's body in unkempt brush near palm trees in a small traffic circle about 10 miles from the downtown Las Vegas outlet mall where Stokes was to have taken the girl shopping.

On Friday evening, Jones called the slaying "unfathomable."

"Even having our jobs, we still can't wrap our heads around this," he said. "A lot of people think that just because of our positions we can understand it, but we can't."

In court Friday morning, Wilson stood flanked by eight police officers as her lawyer, Tony Liker, clutching a Bible and a copy of the charging documents, asked the judge to postpone arraignment until Wednesday to give him time to meet with Wilson.

Wilson, who had been identified by police and prosecutors as Brenda Stokes, told the judge Friday that her full name was Brenda Stokes Wilson.

Jade's father, Philip Morris, was removed from court Wednesday by armed court officers after shouting questions about his daughter's whereabouts to Wilson. He did not attend Friday's hearing.

The two dated for several years, and Jade had a long and trusting relationship with Wilson, according to the girl's grandfather, Philip Tucker.

Tucker said Philip Morris lived in Billings, Mont., and worked at a Flying J truck stop for more than a year. He would stay with Wilson when he visited Las Vegas, Tucker said.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the slaying. But Tucker said Wilson appeared to believe that the face-slashing victim had become romantically involved with Philip Morris.

Wilson picked up Jade up for their shopping expedition around 5 p.m. Later, she got a ride with a friend to the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. She allegedly attacked her co-worker, Joyce Rhone, around 9:30 p.m.

Rhone, 44, was hospitalized with deep cuts on her face, including one from her ear to the edge of her mouth.

Wilson told investigators that she visited her doctor last week, seeking to be admitted to a hospital "due to feeling like she wanted to hurt someone."

[maryderricotte62]

Mental health clinics deny the mentally ill daily with appointments so far off the menatally challenged are not able to get immidiate help.

[djseavy]

Already there are assumptions being made and statements of action that are based on nothing more than the news story. The doctor losing his/her license is far too premature; it's only Wilson's word that she asked for help. Do you suppose she could be lying? She's not exactly the pillar of the community. Then someone wants to make this about race. Why is it that those who scream about racism the most are often the first to start the race card? That's racist in and of itself. And finally, a couple comments try to draw parallels to guns. A 10 year old child was viciously murdered - that's the issue. I fully agree with the notion that it's time to stop with the psychological mumbo jumbo and put people away permanently when they commit these crimes. If in fact Wilson committed the murder, and even if she is mentally ill, she can get plenty of help with her illness while serving the rest of her life in prison. I have plenty of empathy for people with mental illness, and the vast majority of people with mental illness do not go out and commit violent crimes. Yes, you'd have to be crazy to shoot up a school, murder a child, etc. However, that doesn't excuse the actions. Give Wilson her day in court - she's entitled to that - and if she's found guilty - put her away for good.

[Alex20016]

Death penalty please. Forget the "insanity plea" chapter in our sad twisted history. No matter what the tweed clad advisors de jour say about someone's "sanity". The penalty for violent crimes should be the same. No more subjective and shifting classification of illness, medication, or whatever. The idea that anyone has the right to say someone gets off on technicalities when the evidence is clear is an idea that has denied our society justice for generations. If they were sick when they did the deed who cares. If someone broke the law by getting evidence unlawfully or not reading them their rights put those offenders behind bars but stop letting horrible criminals off the hook. Victims first! Do we need to amend the Constitution to get justice, finally?

[mentalist65]

And why wasn't Wilson put in the hospital when she asked? She told her doctor she felt like hurting someone.

[SeymourHolz]

Where's the petition to demand stronger razor-control laws?
No one NEEDS a razor.

[glenmiller-2009]

This article is about the death of a 10-year-old girl. Not your obsession with guns. Your comment reinforces the absurdity of the NRA and gun lobby.

[robert1129]

I am not trying to excuse Wilson but what action did the doctor take?

[sallychicago]

Obviously, she was mentally ill temporarily.