Two Pahrump Murder Suspects Enter Not Guilty Pleas, Bail Denied

A Nye County judge denied bail for Carlos Blakely on April 2 after Blakely and co-defendant Anthony Aguilar each entered not guilty pleas in Fifth Judicial District Court, the latest procedural turn in a murder case that has gripped Pahrump since a fatal shooting at a family movie night nearly nine months ago.

Blakely's attorney, Michael A. Troiano, asked the court to set bail, arguing that "mere presence is not sufficient to establish first-degree murder." Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Young opposed the release, and the judge sided with the prosecution. Both Aguilar and Blakely are held in pretrial detention as the case advances.

Both men face charges of open murder with the use of a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit murder in the July 5, 2025 death of Joey Perry. Aguilar was 17 and Blakely was 18 at the time of the shooting; both are now charged as adults in District Court.

Perry, 22, was shot four times: three bullets struck him in the back and one in the neck, according to Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill. The shooting happened around 10 p.m. at Ian Deutch Memorial Park, just after the conclusion of Pahrump's weekly "Movies in the Park" outdoor screening. McGill told reporters he believed Perry was trying to protect others when he was shot.

What preceded the gunfire was chaos: according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office, a fight involving roughly 50 teenagers erupted at the park, with four teens in the direct confrontation and the rest watching or cheering. A witness who saw the fight and the shooting told police the suspects fled in a red Chevrolet Camaro. Aguilar surrendered after a weekend-long manhunt; Blakely turned himself in on July 7.

Thursday's District Court arraignment was procedurally distinct from the pair's first not guilty pleas, entered in Justice Court on July 18, 2025, shortly after their arrests. In Nevada, cases must pass through Justice Court before being elevated to District Court proceedings, where pretrial authority includes bail hearings and trial scheduling.

A third suspect, Fabian Ferrante, 19 at the time of the shooting, also appeared briefly in District Court on April 2, but his arraignment was rescheduled to later this month. Ferrante was initially questioned and released following the July 5 incident before detectives determined he was involved. He was arrested October 10, 2025, and faces the lesser charge of accessory to murder after the fact. A fourth person, Brandon Port, was interviewed in the days after the shooting and released without charge.

The killing shook Pahrump in ways that extended well beyond the courtroom. A candlelight vigil held at Ian Deutch Memorial Park the Friday after the shooting drew more than 200 people, including Perry's mother, Mari Ausiello, and Sheriff McGill, who received a hug and thanks from Ausiello at the gathering. Perry's brother, Kurtis Hatherly, has also spoken publicly and attended court proceedings.

With Aguilar and Blakely's District Court pleas now on record and Ferrante's arraignment still pending, the case enters a pretrial phase covering evidence exchange, legal motions, and trial scheduling. Open murder with a deadly weapon carries the possibility of life imprisonment under Nevada law; the conspiracy count signals that prosecutors believe the killing involved deliberate coordination between the defendants.