Las Vegas Lawyer Kills Couple During Deposition; Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleges Family Knew

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed on March 9 at the Clark County District Court, alleging a Las Vegas attorney’s law firm and his family conspired in a double murder and suicide during a deposition in 2024. The complaint was filed on behalf of Jack “Perkar” Prince and names several members of the Houston family, including the now-defunct Joseph Houston law office in Las Vegas, as defendants, according to Clark County court records. Nancy Bernstein, who was previously married to Dennis Prince, filed the lawsuit.

On April 8 2024, a deposition was held as part of a custody dispute between Ashley Prince and her ex-husband, Dylen Houston. Ashley was represented by her husband, Dennis Prince, and Dylen was represented by his father, Joseph Houston. Dylen’s mother was also present during the deposition.

During the deposition, Joseph Houston pulled out a gun and fatally shot both Ashley and Dennis. He then shot himself about 20 minutes later in the same conference room at Prince Law Group Building on West Charleston Boulevard.

At the time, Dylen Houston was involved in a bitter conflict with Ashley Prince, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit claims the Houston family was aware of the shooting in advance. According to the filing, the family was aware of the plan to kill Ashley and Dennis but did nothing to stop it. Messages reportedly indicate that Joseph Houston's widow and son were aware of the plot.

Four days before the incident, Dylan Houston, had sent Dennis Prince a message saying, “You have no idea what's coming, do you? All your cards are on the table, and I haven’t played one.”

The complaint also cites multiple threatening texts from Dylan Houston to his ex-wife Ashley Prince, including:

• “I don't want to see you unless you are in a casket.”
• “ I will chisel you down to a weaker and worthless sack of bones.”
• “I will crush you in ways you can't even comprehend.”

During the custody proceedings, Ashley Prince had initially requested security for the deposition, but later cancelled after learning Dylan Houston would not be present.

The lawsuit also questions the role of Dylan Houston and his mother during the hearing, noting they left the room immediately after the fatal shootings without checking on the victims. The filing cites this behavior as evidence that they were aware of the plot.