Jeremy Strohmeyer (born October 11, 1978) is a Long Beach, California man who molested and murdered 7-year-old South Los Angeles elementary school student Sherrice Iverson (October 20, 1989 – May 25, 1997)[1] at Primadonna Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada, on May 25, 1997.

The case drew national attention by focusing on the safety of children in casinos and on the revelation that Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash Jr., said he saw the crime in progress but did not stop it.[2]

The crime
In the early morning hours of May 25, 1997, two men, Jeremy Strohmeyer (age 18) and David Cash, Jr. (age 17), were at the Primadonna Resort & Casino at Primm, Nevada, near the California border. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach.

At around 4 a.m., Strohmeyer began repeatedly making apparently "playful" contact with 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson, who was roaming the casino alone. The young girl's father was gambling and drinking. Her older brother Harold was supposed to be watching her but failed to do so resulting in Sherrice running around unmonitored. Eventually, Strohmeyer followed Sherrice into a women's restroom.

While in the restroom, the two began throwing wet paper wads at one another. Sherrice then reportedly tossed a yellow plastic "Wet Floor" sign at Strohmeyer. At around this time Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash, entered the restroom and witnessed Strohmeyer forcibly take Iverson into a stall. When Cash looked in from the adjacent stall, he saw Strohmeyer holding his left hand over Iverson's mouth and fondling her with his right. After this, Cash left the restroom and was followed 20 minutes later by Strohmeyer, who immediately confessed to him that he had molested and killed the girl.[3]

Three days later, Strohmeyer was taken into custody at his home after two classmates in Long Beach identified him after security tape footage captured by cameras at the casino was released by Nevada police and played on the television news. Strohmeyer was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault of a minor. When questioned by police, Strohmeyer stated that he molested Iverson and strangled her to stifle her screams. Before leaving, Strohmeyer noticed Iverson was still alive and twisted her head in an attempt to break her neck, and after hearing a loud popping sound, rested her body in a sitting position on the toilet with her feet in the bowl. Strohmeyer's attorneys later tried to have the confession suppressed because he was not given legal counsel. However, the police claimed that Strohmeyer waived his right to have an attorney present during questioning.[3]

Plea bargain
Strohmeyer's defense attorney was Leslie Abramson, who represented many high-profile clients, including the Menendez brothers. Strohmeyer claimed he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time and did not remember committing the crimes. It was even suggested that perhaps the witness, David Cash, had, in fact, been the one to murder Sherrice, as Strohmeyer claimed to have no recollection of his actions and the witness was the one to actually tell him what he had seen him doing in the bathroom that night. Abramson also noted that Strohmeyer's biological father is in prison and his biological mother is in a mental hospital.[2]

Strohmeyer's trial was scheduled to begin in September 1998. According to prosecutors, Strohmeyer hoarded pornography, including pornographic images of children, and admitted fantasizing about sex with young girls. Allegedly, prior to the murder, Strohmeyer wrote in an Internet chat room that "I fantasize about having sex with 5-and 6-year-old girls all the time", although Abramson claimed prosecutors could not prove the message came from him. Prosecutors also claimed that Strohmeyer had asked his former girlfriend to dress up as a school girl for him.[2][3]

Strohmeyer was originally facing a possible death sentence for the murder (had the case gone to trial), but hours before his trial was to start, Abramson entered a plea bargain on his behalf. On September 8, 1998, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to four charges: first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a minor with substantial bodily harm, and sexual assault on a minor. On October 14, 1998, he was sentenced to four life terms, one for each crime he pleaded guilty to, to be served consecutively without possibility of parole.