ELKO, NEVADA – Tyler Earl Vance, 35, of Elko was sentenced on April 24th to life in prison with the possibility of parole after he has served at least 42 years aggregate. Vance previously pleaded no contest to six felony charges, including lewdness with a child under 14 years of age, three counts of attempted sexual assault on a child under the age of 14, and two counts of battery on an officer resulting in substantial bodily harm. Vance’s sentence was the maximum possible under Nevada law.
According to court records, Vance repeatedly sexually assaulted and abused a pre-teen family member . After the abuse was discovered in September 2022, Vance admitted to a family member that he had committed some of the acts. Vance then talked about taking his family on “one last trip” into the wilderness. Elko Police Department officers took Vance into custody without incident. The next day, however, Vance launched a surprise attack inside the jail against two Elko County deputy sheriffs. The deputies subdued Vance, but suffered serious injuries, including one deputy who had to be transported to Salt Lake City for multiple broken bones and a concussion.
“Vance’s sentencing is, first and foremost, about delivering justice to the victims,” said Elko County Deputy District Attorney Walter Fick. “But there are also some cases like this, which are so depraved, so horrifying, and so abominable, that we, as an Elko community, need to express our moral outrage. By committing these offenses, Vance has permanently forfeited his right to live in our community. The sentence imposed by District Judge Mason Simons demonstrates that Elko will not tolerate these heinous crimes against our children and law enforcement.”
Fick commended the Elko County Sheriff’s Office, Elko Police Department, and Great Basin Child Advocacy Center for their work in this case. “There is nothing that can undo the unimaginable harms Vance has inflicted,” said Fick. “With the life sentence, however, we hope that the victims can begin a new chapter and move forward with their lives.”