WCDA Concludes 2020 Murder Prosecution

2020 Murder of Elderly Man in South Reno Results in Life Sentence

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that Davion Simonton, age 23, from Reno has been sentenced to life in prison with parole after 20 years has been served after having pled guilty in August to one count of Murder in the First Degree with a Deadly Weapon Against a Person Who is 60 Years of Age or Older. Simonton was additionally sentenced to four consecutive years to 15 years in prison for an elderly enhancement and must serve 24 years in prison before parole eligibility is set to begin.  

Simonton was arrested in November 2020 when the Reno Police Department (RPD)responded to a report of a shooting at the Wells Fargo South Reno bank.  When RPD officers arrived, they located a 78-year-old victim, Doug Morrin, with a gunshot wound to his left thigh.  Mr. Morrin was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.  Based on witness descriptions of the suspect and the direction he fled, RPD officers were able to quickly locate Simonton a short distance from the shooting.  Additional investigation determined that Simonton watched the victim leave the bank with an envelope of money before he robbed and shot him.  After fleeing the area, Simonton attempted to discard the sweatshirt and mask he was wearing, as well as the firearm used in the shooting.  Officers were able to locate these items and arrested Simonton.  Following his arrest, this office field formal criminal charges and the case was assigned to a prosecutor in the Major Violators Unit. 

At the sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Nicole Hicks argued that Mr. Morrin was senselessly murdered.  He was a wonderful, loving, and kind human being who was an active member of the Sparks Rotary Club and First Tee of Northern NV.  He contributed much to our community and spent countless hours helping our youth. DDA Hicks stated that Simonton waited and preyed upon Mr. Morrin because of his age, adding that our elderly population is one of our most vulnerable groups and must be protected.  Because of this, Simonton’s sentence should reflect our commitment to our elderly population.