Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Oxygen’s true crime series Sin City Murders is going to examine the gruesome murder case of budding hip-hop artist Michael Portaro. The slaying took place in March 2011. The episode, titled “All Bets Are Off,” will provide an in-depth analysis of the killing and unravel all the secrets around it, including the arrest of Brandon Hill. The upcoming episode will air on the network on Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m. ET.
As per Oxygen, someone called 911 from Las Vegas’ Tenaya Creek Brewery after seeing a man covered in blood. Authorities reached the venue and identified the victim as Michael Portaro, an aspiring hip-hop artist. The outlet also mentioned that the killer shot Portaro several times, including in the head. While searching the crime scene, investigators found a cigarette butt at the crime scene.
As per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the evidence helped the authorities crack the case. Police sent the cigarette butt for analysis. On the other hand, an anonymous tip helped the investigators link Brandon Hill to the slaying. Subsequently, cops arrested Hill and took his DNA. According to the publication, Hill’s DNA matched with the DNA that the authorities found on the cigarette butt. Moreover, Hill’s shoes had Portaro’s blood.
As a result, the police charged him for fatally shooting Michael Portaro. On February 2015, the jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case and sentenced Brandon Hill to 28 years to life in prison, per Las Vegas Review-Journal. Currently, Hill is serving his sentence at the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Michael Portaro’s murder case explored
After cigarette butt turned out to be crucial in solving Michael Portaro’s murder, authorities acquired additional evidence that helped in procuring a guilty verdict. As per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the prosecution showed the surveillance video in the court where a man in a hoodie could be seen smoking a cigarette. They also presented the actual cigarette butt that police discovered near the crime scene.
During the trial, Michael’s mother, Cynthia Portaro, opened up about losing her family. For the uninitiated, Cynthia lost her daughter in a tragic accident in 2011. Meanwhile, her husband died on Thanksgiving in 2014, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. While speaking during the proceedings, Cynthia said, “I am sentenced to live without my family. I didn’t cause any of this to happen, but I am sentenced to a life of grief.”
Court sentenced Hill to prison in Portaro’s murder case
The jury found Brandon Hill guilty of the killing of Michael Portaro. Before his sentencing, Portaro apologized to Cynthia and said, “My words can’t give them their loved one back. But if it was possible I’d give my own life.” Initially, he faced the death penalty.
However, Oxygen reported that Michael’s mother asked the prosecution team to take away the death penalty. Cynthia told Oxygen, “When I first went in the courtroom, I wanted justice. I wanted (Hill) to rot in hell. I said, ‘Frank, I need you to take away the death penalty.’ He said, ‘Are you crazy?’”
Meanwhile, members of the Hill family also apologized to Cynthia for Hill’s actions. Hill’s sister said, “There’s nothing I could say to her to apologize. I get to go see him. She’s got her baby in a grave.”
As mentioned earlier, Brandon Hill is currently serving his sentence at a prison in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Hill would definitely get a chance to be out on parole.
