Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) – Not guilty.
The was the plea made Monday morning by the man charged with killing a YouTube rival and his wife on the Strip back in June.
41-year-old Manuel Ruiz was indicted last month on two counts of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in the shooting deaths of Rodney and Tanisha Finley in front of the Bellagio back on June 8th. Police say there was a longstanding beef between Ruiz and Rodney Finley that came to a head that night.
Ruiz has claimed self-defense, though Las Vegas Metro Police have said that the Finleys were not armed.
Trial isn’t set to begin until August of 2026. The Clark County District Attorney’s Office has said they plan to pursue the death penalty for Ruiz.
Ruiz' next court appearance is set for November 6th. He's currently being held without bail.