A Las Vegas man was arrested on Dec. 24 after police found a severed head in a vehicle he was driving.
Eric Holland has now been charged with murder, CNN reports. The day prior to his arrest, a Las Vegas Metropolitan police officer attempted to pull over a Toyota truck with suspended registration. However, after first stopping, the driver drove off when police approached the vehicle, per court documents.
The driver pulled up to a parking garage and soon after, a Chevrolet truck pulled out. Police tailed the Chevrolet to an apartment complex and saw that Holland was the driver. He was later apprehended, and upon searching the Chevrolet, police discovered “a foul odor” emanating from a trash bag, where they uncovered a severed head. Holland had also been transporting coolers, which allegedly carried “two human legs” and “an apparent human torso,” according to the complaint.
The aforementioned vehicles were reportedly stolen, though it’s uncertain whether Holland had been driving both trucks. Following his arrest, Holland refused to answer questions and asked for his lawyer.
“The body recovered in this case was in the second truck {the Chevy) not the first (the Toyota),” Holland’s lawyer, P. David Westbrook said. “Additionally, the truck bed was covered and the body was stored in sealed coolers. “
Westbrook continued, “In order to presume that Mr. Holland had prior knowledge of the contents of this truck, you would also have to believe that he lead police to the body intentionally. The question is: why would he do this?”
The coroner revealed that the victim is 65-year-old Las Vegas resident Richard P. Miller. The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, with it being ruled a homicide. Holland is set to appear in court on Jan. 27.
