Las Vegas escort dies after man allegedly strangles her in hotel room

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man was taken into custody Friday for the murder of an escort after she was allegedly strangled during a sexual assault in a Las Vegas hotel room, investigators told 8 News Now.

According to sources, the 30-year-old woman died several days after the June 12 incident at the Palms Casino Resort.

On Friday afternoon, Jason Kendall, 35, turned himself in to police at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police headquarters, where officers arrested him on charges of first-degree murder, sexual assault and assault by strangulation for the purpose of committing sexual assault, a source familiar with the investigation said.

Las Vegas Metro Police initially responded to the call from the hotel about an assault, records say. The woman later died at the hospital. The cause and manner of death were not known Friday, but police suspect Kendall strangled the woman during a sexual assault.

While Metro Police issue a press release for every homicide, they do not issue a press release for delayed death cases.

The victim, whose name was known to 8 News Now investigators, appeared online on various escort websites. Sources said she also worked for a popular Las Vegas-based escort agency. 8 News Now was waiting for confirmation from the coroner to publicly release her identity.

Kendall was scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Saturday afternoon.

Investigator David Charns can be reached at [email protected].

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