James Morais, a 51-year-old Caucasian man, was shot and killed inside a home on Mario Road in the Verdi area just outside Reno on the night of September 26, 2023. Deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office found Morais deceased after responding to reports of a shooting.

Investigators concluded a resident of the house fired multiple shots after being awakened by someone trying to force their way in. The shooter, a friend of the property manager, said Morais — dressed in dark clothing, including a hoodie and leather gloves — broke into the room and the resident fired in fear for his life. Morais had been a tenant in the property manager’s rental and was reportedly facing eviction; the manager suspected the entry might have been a retaliatory act aimed at either the tenant or the manager.

The Sheriff’s Office deemed the shooting justifiable self-defense, no arrests were made, and the case was closed. Does anyone have information about Morais’s movements or contacts in Verdi around that date?