Las Vegas man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend with dog leash and reveals where he hid her body

LAS VEGAS (TCD) -- A 37-year-old man avoided potentially receiving the death penalty by pleading guilty this week to killing his 34-year-old girlfriend and revealing where he hid her body.

Clark County District Court records show Philip Matthew O’Reilly entered the plea Tuesday, April 18, for one count of murder. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped two child abuse, neglect, or endangerment charges.

According to KLAS-TV, O’Reilly shared in court that he fatally beat his girlfriend, Cherllyn Beardall, sometime between July 20, 2020, and July 23, 2020, with a dog leash and his hands. Beardall’s children reportedly heard and saw the beatings. O’Reilly asked one of her kids to bring him the dog leash and an ice pack for Beardall.

O’Reilly also revealed where he buried Beardall’s body because prosecutors otherwise would have sought the death penalty against him, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Beardall’s family reported her missing to the Henderson Police Department in September 2020 and said they had not heard from the mom of three since July.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, at approximately the same time Beardall’s family reported her missing, O’Reilly searched topics online that included "torture chamber," "longest torture sessions," "CIA torture," "slowest historical torture," and "broken ribs."

KLAS reports Las Vegas Metro Police received a tip in March that O’Reilly tried to hire a fellow inmate at the Clark County Detention Center to kill four people, including children, and offered the man $20,000.

He reportedly told the inmate he "needed the witnesses to disappear to beat his current charges."

O’Reilly reportedly shared detailed information about the intended targets, who are all related to Beardall. When detectives asked him about it, he reportedly denied making threats.

O’Reilly will be sentenced at a later date.

MORE:

• State of Nevada vs. Philip O'Reilly
• Las Vegas man reveals location of victim’s remains, pleads guilty to murder - KLAS
• Man reveals location of girlfriend’s body, pleads guilty to killing - Las Vegas Review-Journal
• Las Vegas police say accused killer tried to hire hitman to kill 4 witnesses, including children, 3/27/2023 - KLAS
• Henderson Police Request Public’s Assistance in Ongoing Missing Person Investigation, 4/14/2021 - Henderson Police Department