Sins & Survivors: A Las Vegas True Crime Podcast - Two Cities, Four Murders, One Cause

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

He had already taken a life—and the system let him walk free. Less than a year after his release, Mark Michael Ford murdered again, leaving two families shattered and a community searching for answers. Domestic violence and intimate partner violence don’t just stay behind closed doors—they ripple through entire communities with devastating consequences. From Las Vegas to Reno, four lives were lost to the same underlying cause.This week we’re going to narrow the focus a little bit from Domestic Violence and describe two recent tragic cases of intimate partner violence. IPV is what it’s called when violence occurs between couples who are dating or married, while DV can encompass any violence in a household, such as a parent abusing a child.Our first case started as intimate partner violence and spun out into what was essentially a murder spree, one that destroyed the lives of two families. What makes this case so frustrating is that this wasn't the first time this murderer had taken a life.https://sinspod.co/68sourcesDomestic Violence Resourceshttp://sinspod.co/resourcesClick here to become a member of our Patreon!https://sinspod.co/patreonVisit and join our Patreon now and access our ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content & schwag! Get ad-free access for only $1 a month or ad-free and bonus episodes for $3 a monthApple Podcast Subscriptionshttps://sinspod.co/appleWe're now offering premium membership benefits on Apple Podcast Subscriptions! On your mobile deviceLet us know what you think about the episodehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2248640/open_sms Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sins-survivors-a-las-vegas-true-crime-podcast--6173686/support.

To listen ad-free, visit Zinspod.co slash subscribe. Starting at $2.99 a month, you'll also get access to our exclusive bonus content episodes when you join through Patreon or Apple subscriptions. Thanks for supporting the show! This week, we're going to narrow the focus a little bit from domestic violence and describe two recent tragic cases of intimate partner violence. IPV is what it's called when the violence occurs between couples who are dating or married, while DV can encompass any violence in a household, such as a parent

abusing a child. Our first case started as intimate partner violence and spun out into what was essentially a murder spree, one that destroyed the lives of two families. What makes this case so frustrating is that it wasn't the first time this murderer had taken a life. Hi, and welcome to Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast where we focus on cases that deal with domestic violence as well as missing persons and unsolved cases. I'm your host, Sean. And I am your co-host, John. As we mentioned, the cases we're covering this week are focused on intimate partner violence, which is a subset of domestic violence.

All IPV is DV, but not all DV is IPV. It's important to understand that if you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, all of the same resources are available to that person. And as always, we have links in our show notes to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. We want to remind you up front here that you can get in touch with them 24-7-365 by calling 1-800-799-SAFE, that's 7233, visiting thehotline.org, or texting the word START to 88788. A recent addition to the hotline is an AI chatbot that can offer informed and compassionate advice. You can visit ruth.thehotline.org at any time.

John, do you want to get us started on this week's first case? Sure. As we mentioned, we have three victims in our first case, but we'll start with Jessica Russo. In February of 2024, Jessica was 36 years old and was a mom to two daughters ages 11 and 7. She was living with Mark Michael Ford, with whom she had a long-standing relationship going back to high school in the early 2000s. She was very close to her mom, Laura, and her niece, Gianna, and all of them lived here in Las Vegas, but they're originally from New York, specifically Staten Island. Jessica worked at a location of Dottie's, a local chain of gaming bars that are ubiquitous around the Las Vegas and Henderson area,

with dozens of locations, much like P.T.'s. Jessica worked at the location on Elkhorn and Hualapai, which is in the far northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley in Centennial Hills. She previously worked at a location of Lefty's Pizza in that same area, which has since closed. Her mom said that she was spicy and beautiful, and that she was a wonderful and generous person who would do anything for anyone. She was a devoted mom, and Laura considered her to be her best friend. Several people wrote on her GoFundMe page about how much they enjoyed chatting with Jessica at Dottie's. They remarked how friendly and sweet she was, and some of the comments referred to her as a hot ticket and a little pistol, which indicates to me that she was a sassy, no-nonsense person.

On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Jessica didn't pick up her daughters at school, and no one had heard from her. All of that was very out of the ordinary, so her mother, her niece Gianna, and her mom's boyfriend headed over to her South Las Vegas home on Andorra Street to check on her. When they got there, knocked, rang the bell, and no one answered. Laura had her boyfriend kick in the door. They went in frantically searching for her, and Laura found her on the floor of her bedroom. She had been shot and was unresponsive. Gianna later wrote on her aunt's GoFundMe page that the whole thing felt like a nightmare,

and that, with the guidance of the 911 operator, Laura tried in vain to resuscitate Jessica, her only daughter, in this horrifying scene. At first, the police had few leads, and there were a lot of news stories where Laura was on television pleading with the community for anyone who knew what happened to come forward. Five days later, on Sunday, February 25th, 44-year-old John DeRoshack was working the late shift at the same Dottie's where Jessica worked, up on Elkhorn and Hualapai. As he left work around midnight,

he headed to his car, which was parked right in front. Before he got to his car, he was confronted by an assailant and was shot six times. First responders got there quickly and he was transported to an assailant and was shot six times. First responders got there quickly, and he was transported to a local hospital. His family was called, including his wife, his niece, and his nephew, who arrived at the hospital around 1 a.m. in a panic. After several hours, a trauma doctor came out and had to inform them of the heartbreaking news that

John didn't make it. I want to say a little bit about what we learned about John Derochak in our research. John was born November 4th, 1979 in Palos Heights, Illinois, and moved to the Las Vegas area when he was four. His family moved to Pahrump where he went to Pahrump Valley High and was a standout football player. He met his wife Roxanna while working at Verrazano Pizza and was later a part owner in Lefty's Pizza, where he met Jessica and became friends with her. After that, he worked at Dottie's for nearly 16 years, where he easily made friends because of his outgoing and likable personality. He loved luxury cars and animals. He was intelligent, was passionate about politics, and loved the Chicago Bears. He was a beloved brother, uncle, husband, and father. His family told reporters about how

he had an unmatched work ethic, often holding down two jobs to support his wife, Roxanna, who had recently come through a battle with cancer, as well as their 16-month-old daughter. He was very, very close with his nephew, Cameron, and his niece, Nicole. Cameron told a story about how he would visit his uncle at Lefty's Pizza when he was working there, and you really get a sense of what a loving man John was. His niece Nicole was very close to John in age, and she mentioned that she thought of him as a big brother more than an uncle, someone she idolized and looked up to. I also wanted to mention that Nicole agreed to be the surrogate for John and Roxanna and gave birth to their daughter in 2022, which is an amazing gift to give to her favorite uncle and his wife. She has so much to say about

him, but here are a few things that stuck out to us. He was the cool guy in the family at 44 years old, still cool. He was a very caring person who was always looking out for others. If you knew him, you loved him, and he was so excited to be a new dad. So did you catch that Jessica and John worked at the same places, and they were murdered five days apart, both having been shot? Well, Las Vegas Metro Police did, and quickly identified a suspect in both killings. You may have guessed already, but that suspect was Mark Michael Ford, Jessica's live-in boyfriend. Ford became a suspect very quickly after the second murder for a very good reason.

This was not the first murder he had been involved in. When Mark Michael Ford was just 15 years old in February of 2003, he broke into the home of his neighbor in Peckley Ranch, a 56-year-old man named Vincent Gomes, who shared the home with his ex-wife, Roberta. Vincent had called 911 and told the dispatcher that someone had broken into his house, and then he called 911 again a few minutes later, telling them that the person had stabbed him just before he lost consciousness. He had been stabbed in the neck with a pry bar that was about 12 inches long, and unfortunately, he died on the scene. When she saw the booking photos, Roberta immediately recognized Ford and told investigators

they had known him since he was 10 years old. Ford was put on trial for murder, all the while claiming he never meant to hurt Gomes, but within a year, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. A judge sentenced Ford to two life terms with the possibility of parole, one for the second-degree murder and a second for the deadly weapon enhancement. Gomes' wife spoke at his sentencing and said, You aren't going to get away with it. You might be punished in prison, but the dear Lord isn't done with you yet. You will get yours again sometime.

You might be wondering how it is that he could possibly have been paroled for such a brutal crime like this and was allowed to leave prison with his debt to society fully repaid. As we said, he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, one for the secondary murder and the other for the deadly weapon enhancement. He was also convicted of burglary with a firearm. Each of these life sentences had a minimum sentence of 10 years, and the burglary charge had a minimum sentence of 22 months. Ford applied for parole twice, once in 2012 and once again in 2022. When he applied in 2012, after having served the minimum on the first life sentence, it was impossible for him to be released

because he still had to serve at least 10 years on the second life sentence, it was impossible for him to be released because he still had to serve at least 10 years on the second life sentence. During the time he was incarcerated, two laws were passed in Nevada that would end up forcing the state to release Ford. In 2009, under Governor Jim Gibbons, the legislature passed Assembly Bill 474, which retroactively granted offenders

under the age of 16 mandatory parole when eligible if they completed requirements like job training and education. After that, three United States Supreme Court decisions also impacted life sentences given to juveniles. In 2010, in Graham v. Florida, the court ruled that sentencing juveniles to life without parole for non-homicide offenses violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The second, in 2012, Miller v. Alabama, applies directly. In that decision, the court held that sentences of mandatory life without parole for juveniles, even in homicide cases, are unconstitutional. The ruling didn't ban life without parole for juveniles outright,

but required state courts to consider the circumstances of each juvenile offender on a case-by-case basis before imposing a sentence like that. Then, in 2016, Montgomery v. Louisiana made the Miller v. Alabama decision retroactive. Back in Nevada, in 2015, under Governor Brian Sandoval, the Nevada legislature passed Assembly Bill 267, which granted offenders under 18 mandatory parole after serving 20 years for crimes resulting in death. That bill, in particular, really built on the Supreme Court decisions and squarely affected Ford, who was sentenced to life with parole as a juvenile and was eligible for parole after a total of 20 years. So when he applied for parole

in 2022, it was very much a formality. The parole board legally had no choice but to grant him parole. They evaluated him as being low-risk due to things like having completed his GED in prison, his age when he was incarcerated, and his lack of disciplinary problems recently in prison. They cited a positive institutional record and how he participated in programs specific to addressing behavior that led to his incarceration, such as anger management classes. Ford told the parole board in his videotaped parole hearing that he had had 20 years to reflect on his actions that day, and he said, I'm definitely asking for forgiveness and a second chance in life. So there it was. He was paroled 20 years to the day that he had murdered Vincent Gomes. He was

released in February of 2023 at the age of 35. One year after that, he was the primary suspect in not one, but two murders. From what Nicole, John Droshek's niece, told reporters, although John and Jessica were just good friends at work, obviously Ford had some sort of jealousy about that, which drove him to murder them both, leaving two families mourning and broken. On the day Ford murdered John, police announced he was a suspect, and incredibly, that same day, Sunday, Ford shot another man in the head, a man who was described as a friend of Ford's outside of his home. That man survived and his name hasn't been released publicly. Later in the day, they found Ford in a car outside of a home in the South Valley,

not far from where he lived with Jessica near Las Vegas Boulevard in St. Rose. He died by suicide having shot himself in the chest. They found a gun under his sweater. Jessica's family has a GoFundMe to pay for her final expenses. They earned enough there to pay for her transport back to Staten Island where she was laid to rest. Her 11-year-old daughter said in an interview with Channel 13 News, We have to go to New York now to bury my mom. We have to say goodbye to her, unfortunately. That was my mom. That was my best friend. That was my whole life. We'll share the link to the family's GoFundMe page in our show notes because they still have expenses they haven't been able

to pay. We do have a couple of bright notes here in this very tragic story, though. Laura, Jessica's mom, is actively working to adopt her grandchildren, which we think is amazing. As she said, there's no replacing a mother, but we think it's great that she's doing that. John and Roxanna Droszak's daughter has lost her loving dad, but she has her mom and a very large extended family to help her as she grows up, which we're thankful to know. Our thoughts are with the families affected by this horrible tragedy. The second case we wanted to talk about is another case that occurred in August of 2024 in northern Nevada near Reno around Lake Tahoe. This one also happened fairly

recently, so for now we'll focus on what happened and provide some background on the victim. On Sunday, August 11, 2024, Reno police were called to a residential neighborhood in the 1300 block of Keystone Avenue in the northwest part of Reno because of reports of gunshots. When they arrived, they found William Andrews, 68 years old, had been shot in the head and murdered, and his red Chevy Blazer was missing. The news reporting said barely anything about Bill, but we found a beautiful description of him, his family, and his life, and we wanted to share that. Bill Andrews went to high school in California, where he was a varsity letterman athlete in both football and

baseball, and moved to Reno with his brother Scott in 1976, who he was very close with. Bill was known for his humor and his outgoing personality. There was a quote in his memorial that says, Bill never met a stranger. Everyone he encountered quickly became a friend. His personality also carried over to his work, where his excellent customer service earned him lasting relationships with anyone he came into contact with. He loved classic rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd,

Tesla, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and U2, and was an avid concert goer. He also loved Harley Davidsons and was an all-weather barbecuer. He loved the outdoors and especially loved caring for his beloved pets, especially his dogs. He left behind a large extended family,

including his partner Cheryl, her daughter, his own daughter, a grandchild, his beloved best friend and brother Scott, his brother Cameron, and his husband, and many more. He is loved by so many and he will be missed. Two days before the murder, on the 9th, 48-year-old Patricia Portella Wright was reported missing after she didn't show up at work at the Edington Gallery in Tahoe City. She also had a second job at Karma Tahoe in Incline Village as well. Incline Village and Tahoe City are both towns right around Lake Tahoe City. She also had a second job at Karma Tahoe in Incline Village as well. Incline Village and Tahoe City are both towns right around Lake Tahoe. Patricia loved her job and was passionate about the gallery, especially because she was a talented

artist and photographer. So, her not showing up for work raised serious red flags with her friend and boss. According to police, the last known contact with her was a few days earlier than that, August 3rd or 4th. Police knew that she lived with her boyfriend, 55-year-old Brent Clifford, in Kings Beach, so they started looking for him. When Bill Andrews was murdered on the 11th, they found out that he was also a friend of Brent Clifford, so they intensified the search for him, asking for the public's assistance finding both Clifford and that missing Chevy Blazer. Within a few days, Clifford was a person of interest in the homicide, and they assumed that he had taken the Blazer as well. It was seen on security camera footage near the Circus Circus Casino in downtown Reno, and it was also spotted heading west on I-70, north of Reno, headed toward Portola. Police located Clifford in Portola on August 14th, and they

located the blazer nearby. They initially charged him with identity theft because he had been using a credit card of Trisha's. According to court documents, Clifford was accused of fraud and identity theft since he had stolen Patricia's personal information and used her cards, obviously without her consent. Police stated that the total value of what had been stolen exceeded $950, making it a felony. The next day, August 15th, the Placer County Sheriff's Office received information that led them to search north of Reno on the Mount Rose Highway. Using a drone, they located and recovered Trish's body from a deep embankment off the highway. Her death was ruled a homicide due to multiple sharp force injuries.

Clifford has now been charged with murder and identity theft, but this case is ongoing. We'll bring you updates on this case as they happen. In the aftermath of Trish's murder in September of 2024, Incline Village held a tribute event in her honor titled Stop the Violence. The event, organized by Sabrina Gentner, was intended to commemorate Trisha's life. It featured guest speakers and benefited Sierra Community House, a local organization that helps victims of domestic violence. The executive director of Sierra Community House, Teresa Cremins, said,

Domestic violence has a ripple effect through our community. It's about exerting power and control over another person, and it can look a lot of different ways. Domestic violence thrives in silence, secrecy, and isolation. A memorial service for Trish was held in Texas on September 21st in her hometown. We found out a bit about Trish by looking at her Instagram, her Facebook, and her website. She was a talented artist and a photographer and was a beloved daughter, sister, and mom of two girls and a friend to many in her community. Her friends said that she would do anything for anyone and was an amazing person. Trish's family has a GoFundMe to help pay for her final expenses and we'll share that in our show notes. Although her website is no longer online, we look through previous versions and there's a great quote from her we'd like to share.

Trish writes, I'm just a girl with a camera. I'm inspired by the world around me, the places I explore, and the faces I meet make my life worth living. I love a good story. I love a good song. I dance like crazy, sing, hike, swim, run, laugh, scream, and lose myself along the way. Life is about immersion, living it, loving it, and run, laugh, scream, and lose myself along the way. Life is about immersion, living it, loving it, and most of all, trusting it. I like to take chances and risks. Life is unpredictable at best. It's in life's trials that I have grown. I'm a good mother, a supportive wife, a loving daughter and granddaughter, and a fabulous friend. I've found over the years that

it's not how much you have that makes you happy, but the people you have around you who make the days golden and the years memorable. We think it's great that her life was celebrated and echo the sentiment that there's no place for this violence. And we very much hope that justice can be served on the murderer who took Trish away from her family too soon. For decades, activists and advocates have been stressing that domestic violence is not just a private family matter. We can't treat it as a secret because, as Teresa Clements said, intimate partner violence and domestic violence thrive in secrecy. The violence shouldn't need to spill out into the community for us to take notice and take

action. As always, you can find resources and links to organizations near you where you can donate, volunteer, or get more information on domestic violence so we as a community can keep working toward prevention and solutions. Thank you for listening, and if you want to help out with the podcast, it helps so much if you could take a minute and write a good review on whatever platform you're listening on. And of course, you can get ad-free episodes and access our Swing Shift bonus content on Patreon or Apple Podcast subscriptions by visiting sinspod.co slash subscribe. And we remind you that what happens here, happens everywhere. I'm sorry. dot co slash subscribe for exclusive bonus content and to listen ad-free. Remember to like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads at Sins and Survivors. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice. You can contact us at

questions at sinsandsurvivors.com. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence or needs support, please reach out to local resources or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. A list of resources is If you have questions, concerns, or corrections, please email us. Links to source material for this episode can be found on our website, sinsandsurvivors.com. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast creators, hosts, and their guests. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty. This content does not constitute legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with