He watched part of it happen. He said nothing, then and for weeks afterward.
On May 25, 1997, 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson was sexually assaulted and killed in a casino restroom in Primm, Nevada. The case became a national story not only because of the crime itself, but because of what a witness chose not to do — and it led directly to new laws in two states.
An Unsupervised Night
Sherrice and her older brother, Harold, then 14, had accompanied their father, Leroy Iverson, to a casino, where he spent the night gambling while the children were meant to stay in the arcade area. At some point the siblings separated, and Sherrice wandered the casino largely unsupervised for hours, having been returned to her father by security more than once.
What Happened
Around 4 a.m., 18-year-old Jeremy Strohmeyer began interacting with Sherrice and eventually followed her into a women's restroom, where the two played together briefly before he assaulted her in a stall. Strohmeyer's friend, 17-year-old David Cash, entered the restroom and saw part of the assault taking place from an adjacent stall. He left without intervening or alerting anyone. Roughly twenty minutes later, Strohmeyer came out and told Cash he had killed her.
Arrest and Confession
Strohmeyer was identified three days later after classmates recognized him from casino surveillance footage. In custody, he confessed to the assault and murder. Investigators later found child sexual abuse material on his computer, and witnesses said he had made a racist remark about Sherrice to friends before the crime.
Trial and Sentencing
In September 1998, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault of a minor with substantial bodily harm. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
"The Bad Samaritan"
David Cash was never charged with any crime, since simply witnessing an assault without intervening wasn't illegal under the law at the time. His public comments afterward, in which he said he wasn't going to "lose sleep over somebody else's problems," drew intense national backlash. He became widely known in media coverage as "the Bad Samaritan," and students and activists staged protests attempting to have him expelled from UC Berkeley, where he was enrolled; university officials said they had no legal basis to remove him since he hadn't been convicted of anything.
A Law Named for Her
The public outrage over Cash's inaction led directly to new legislation. Nevada passed a law requiring people with reasonable suspicion that a child is being sexually or violently abused to report it to authorities, and California passed similar legislation. A proposed federal version, sometimes referred to as the Sherrice Iverson Act, was introduced in Congress but didn't ultimately become the primary vehicle for reform — the more lasting legal change came through these state-level duty-to-report laws.
A Later Appeal Denied
In 2017, Strohmeyer sought resentencing, arguing his age and immaturity at the time of the crime should be considered under evolving standards for juvenile and young-adult offenders. The judge denied the request, finding that Strohmeyer's actions reflected premeditation rather than impulsive adolescent behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was David Cash ever charged with a crime?
No. Witnessing a crime without reporting it wasn't illegal under the law at the time, so he faced no criminal charges, despite significant public backlash.
Is Jeremy Strohmeyer still in prison?
Yes, serving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. A 2017 request for resentencing was denied.
Did this case actually change any laws?
Yes. Nevada and California both passed legislation requiring people to report reasonable suspicion of child sexual or violent abuse to authorities, directly in response to public outrage over this case.