DA to Seek Death Warrants for 3 Convicted Killers

Zane Floyd among killers Las Vegas prosecutor wants executed

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:27pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An extreme close-up photograph of a pair of handcuffs against a pitch-black background, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash, conceptually representing the legal process behind capital punishment.The decision to seek execution warrants for these convicted killers exposes the complex legal process behind capital punishment in Nevada.Las Vegas Today

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson announced that his office plans to seek execution warrants for three longtime death row inmates - Zane Floyd, Donald Sherman, and Sterling Atkins - who have exhausted their appeals. Floyd is the most notorious, having killed four people at a Las Vegas Albertsons supermarket in 1999. Sherman bludgeoned a retired doctor to death with a hammer in 1994 while on parole for a previous killing. Atkins was sentenced to death for his role in the 1994 beating, sexual assault, and strangulation of a young mother in North Las Vegas.

Why it matters

The decision to seek execution warrants for these three convicted killers highlights the ongoing debate around capital punishment in Nevada and the complex legal process involved in carrying out the death penalty, even for those who have exhausted their appeals.

The details

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson stated that his office will ask District Court judges for warrants of execution for Zane Floyd, Donald Sherman, and Sterling Atkins in the next two weeks. All three men have exhausted their appeals after being sentenced to death for separate high-profile murders committed in the 1990s.

  • Zane Floyd killed four people at a Las Vegas Albertsons supermarket in 1999.
  • Donald Sherman bludgeoned a retired doctor to death with a hammer in 1994 while on parole for a previous killing.
  • Sterling Atkins was sentenced to death for his role in the 1994 beating, sexual assault, and strangulation of a young mother in North Las Vegas.

The players

Steve Wolfson

The Clark County District Attorney who announced plans to seek execution warrants for the three convicted killers.

Zane Floyd

A death row inmate who killed four people at a Las Vegas Albertsons supermarket in 1999.

Donald Sherman

A death row inmate who bludgeoned a retired doctor to death with a hammer in 1994 while on parole for a previous killing.

Sterling Atkins

A death row inmate who was sentenced to death for his role in the 1994 beating, sexual assault, and strangulation of a young mother in North Las Vegas.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This is a developing story. Check back for updates.”

— Noble Brigham, Reporter

What’s next

The judge will decide in the next two weeks whether to grant the execution warrants requested by the Clark County District Attorney's office.

The takeaway

The decision to seek execution warrants for these three convicted killers who have exhausted their appeals highlights the ongoing debate around capital punishment in Nevada and the complex legal process involved in carrying out the death penalty, even for those considered the 'worst of the worst' offenders.