Murdered on the Fourth of July
Las Vegas, Nevada | Film Feature
Documentary, Crime
The execution-style murders of anti-racist activists Lin "Spit" Newborn and Daniel Shersty by neo-Nazi skinheads on July 4, 1998 shocked the Las Vegas community and revealed the threat posed by white supremacists. Twenty-five years later, telling this story is sadly more relevant than ever.
Murdered on the Fourth of July
Las Vegas, Nevada | Film Feature
Documentary, Crime
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,100 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
91 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
The execution-style murders of anti-racist activists Lin "Spit" Newborn and Daniel Shersty by neo-Nazi skinheads on July 4, 1998 shocked the Las Vegas community and revealed the threat posed by white supremacists. Twenty-five years later, telling this story is sadly more relevant than ever.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In the wee hours of July 4, 1998, two young men–Lin “Spit” Newborn, a Black poet and musician, and Daniel Shersty, a white U.S. Air Force serviceman–were ambushed and killed by white supremacist skinheads in the desert on the edge of Las Vegas. Both Newborn and Shersty were members of Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (S.H.A.R.P.), the former being targeted particularly due to not only his ethnicity, but his huge standing in the community as a vocal anti-racist activist.
This horrific act was ultimately the culmination of troubles that had been boiling for decades. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, neo-Nazi skinheads were a troublesome presence at punk rock shows in the Las Vegas area, even as they formed their own White Power bands and built a small but strong following for both the music and the hateful message.
The murders of Newborn and Shersty came on the heels of several other tragic events in Las Vegas, including the kidnapping and murder of a young woman, dancer Ginger Rios, who was attached to the same intertwined scene of poets, artists, musicians, writers, and misfits of which Newborn was an active part. But Newborn and Shersty’s killings reverberated far beyond their local community.
“Nobody took the white supremacist threat seriously,” said Heidi Beirich, Ph.D., chief strategy officer and co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “They treated it like it was some just silly gang warfare. They didn’t understand what they were dealing with.”
That all changed after what happened 25 years ago on the Fourth of July.
Murdered on the Fourth of July will explore the environment that fomented the growing presence of neo-Nazi skinheads, especially in the 1980s and 1990s punk rock scene, how that spurred the emergence of reactionary groups such as the Anti-Racist Action and S.H.A.R.P., and how the deaths of Newborn and Shersty made a lasting impact on not only the anti-racist activist community, but on the burgeoning Las Vegas cultural scene of the 1990s.
Why This Story? Why Now?
Independence Day has become a day of remembrance for the countless people who either knew Spit and Dan or know of at least the broad strokes of their story. However, with both the dramatic rise in reported hate crimes and the increased media awareness of neo-Nazi and white nationalist groups in the post-Trump era, the story of this racially motivated double murder is, sadly, more relevant than ever and needs to be shared with a wider audience.
Why This Crowdfunding Campaign?
Although the total budget for the film is approximately $224,000, we’re asking the community to come together help raise a minimum of $12,000, which will support our first round of production: about a week's worth of filming with a small crew in Las Vegas, where we'll be able to capture critical interviews, essential B-roll footage and other important material needed to kickstart this project and position this documentary for success.
Funding for this round of production will cover:
- Cinematographer
- Sound Recordist
- Production Assistant/Swing G&E
- Grip Equipment Rental
- Travel and Meals
- Insurance
Please see our wishlist for the full breakdown of expenses (and needs you can contribute to in-kind). An overview of our full budget is available upon request.
We are also looking for footage and photos related to the subject matter of the film to help tell a more complete visual picture. You can also check out our collateral needs list on the film’s website.
With the material captured in this round of production, we will be able to get closer to having a rough edit/proof of concept of the film that can be used to apply for grants, pitch sales agents and distributors, and show to potential co-producers or financiers in order to get this film closer to completion and release.
Donations Are Tax-Deductible
Your donation to this film is tax-deductible! Murdered on the Fourth of July is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of Murdered on the Fourth of July are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible, less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation, decline the incentive at checkout.
Stretch Goals
If we are lucky enough to exceed our goal for this campaign, that will help push us forward not only into the next stages of production, but also toward more fully realizing the cinematic vision for this film:
- $12,000 - Current goal. Complete core production in Las Vegas.
- $15,000 - Licensing of editorial and stock footage.
- $20,000 - Pacific Northwest interview filming and outreach event.
- $25,000 - Hire an editor!
If you’re interested in being an equity investor or a co-producer instead of providing a donation via this campaign, please contact us directly via our website.
Where We’re At/Where We’re Going
We’ve spent the last year-plus doing extensive research, collecting police reports, court transcripts, and news stories, as well as gathering archival footage and photos. We’ve conducted about a dozen pre-interviews with family, friends, colleagues, law enforcement and legal experts, and we’ve already filmed several on-camera interviews.
Most of the approximately $4,000 already spent so far was either funded by the producer or with generous donations received after the announcement of Murdered on the Fourth of July’s production earlier this year. But to move forward, we need the community’s help. Your support of this campaign–whether through a donation or simply by sharing this campaign with friends, family and colleagues–is essential to giving this project the boost it needs to become a reality.
Estimated Project Timeline:
- October 2023: Orange County interview shoot (October 2023)
- November 2023: Core Las Vegas interview/B-roll/community event shoots (if this campaign is successful!)
- December 2023/January 2024: Portland and/or Seattle interview/community event shoots (dependent on additional funding)
- January/February 2024: Second Las Vegas interview/B-roll/pickup shooting (dependent on additional funding)
- Spring 2024: Conduct (if needed) additional location (travel) filming for interviews, based on subject participation/review of early stage assembly edit (dependent on additional funding)
- Ongoing through production timeline: Gathering, scanning, restoring, upscaling of archival photography and video footage (ongoing through production timeline)
- Ongoing through production timeline: Sourcing environmental and incidental music (not score) (ongoing through production timeline)
- Based on funding received and budget adjustments, selection of editor, composer, post-production facilities prior to start of post-production phase
- Late Spring 2024: Rough edit ready for review and feedback
When Will You See The Documentary?
While we are working to stay on the projected schedule outlined above for the film’s production, the nature of a research-based, expository documentary like Murdered on the Fourth of July means that the uncovering of the story dictates the actual development of the project. This includes availability of interview subjects, archival material, crew, funding, etc. Even after production is wrapped, the timing of release depends on commitments we’ve made with co-producers or distributors.
The best way to stay abreast of the film’s progress and find out when it will be released is to “follow” this campaign for updates or on our social media channels.
Director’s Statement
I’m Pj Perez, a journalist, filmmaker, and the director and producer of Murdered on the Fourth of July. What’s my connection to this story?
Spit and I were friends, mutual denizens of the coffee houses, music venues, and record stores where our community of artists, freaks and outcasts found refuge from the otherwise culturally vacant environs of Las Vegas in the 1990s. Spit was not only ever-present at poetry readings, Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings, and the Huntridge Theater―a concert venue from which his noise-punk band Life of Lies would be ejected for the chaos it caused on stage―but also literally fought against the neo-Nazi skinheads who often turned up at such events. So, when he and Shersty were murdered, that shocking event not only reverberated throughout our scene, but personally hit me like a tiny bomb.
Several years ago, while starting development on another documentary project (which would become the award-winning 2021 feature Parkway of Broken Dreams) rooted in that same subculture from which Spit and I emerged, the world started changing. Fascists were coming to power across the globe. As Donald Trump took office in the U.S., violent hate crimes perpetrated by white supremacists began to rise. The unintentional sacrifice that Spit and Dan made seemed to be in vain.
I realized that with my experience, tools and platforms, I had an opportunity–as well as unique access, being in touch with or close to both friends and family of the victims and having the blessing/involvement of both–to not only bring Spit and Dan’s stories to a much broader audience, but also ensure that, like those of us directly impacted, the rest of the world will also “never forget.”
Thank you for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Grip Equipment Rental
Costs $500
For any outdoor filming, we'll need to rent silks, stands and other grip equipment. If you own these items and want to lend, let us know!
Cinematographer
Costs $2,500
Can't do the filming without our cinematographer, Winston Moon, who is also providing cameras and some lighting equipment.
Sound Recordist
Costs $2,500
We'll need to hire an all-in-one production sound mixer/boom operator to capture the best audio possible, especially in the field.
Production Insurance
Costs $2,500
Safety first! This will pay for insurance for our ENTIRE production to cover the repair or replacement of any gear damaged during filming.
Production Assistant
Costs $1,000
An extra crew member who can float to help with whatever is needed on these shoots -- grip, continuity, expendables, food runs, etc!
Travel
Costs $1,000
Hotel, fuel and related expenses for one crew member to travel to and from Las Vegas.
Meals and Snacks
Costs $1,000
We will ensure no crew member or participant goes hungry throughout the course of this shoot.
Payment Processing Fees
Costs $500
While Seed&Spark does not charge a platform fee, there is a small fee we pay to the payment processor for every pledge charged.
Incentives Production & Shipping
Costs $500
The one thing most crowdfunding campaigns forget to factor in: the cost of fulfilling and delivering backer rewards! Not us.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Pj Perez (Producer/Director)
Pj Perez is a multidisciplinary storyteller whose debut feature, the 2021 documentary Parkway of Broken Dreams, won several film festival “Best Documentary” awards and enjoyed national distribution on public television stations via NETA (as well as being available internationally on a variety of streaming and VOD platforms).
During his 15-year career as a Las Vegas journalist, Perez focused on lifting unheard voices, including in the LGBTQ+, Black, and activist communities. He has written, directed and/or edited several short narrative films and documentaries, as well as the pilot for a nonfiction webseries, and his pilot script for the original drama series, The Foundation, was a finalist in the 27th Annual People’s Pilot Contest.
Roudi Boroumand (Co-Producer)
Roudi Boroumand is an Iranian-American indie filmmaker, film educator and film studies writer/translator. She began her career as a photographer fresh out of the Iranian Youth Cinema Society and soon became an arts and entertainment journalist. Due to the imprisonment of the journalists and the shutting down of the papers that were the voice of opposition against the dictatorship of the Islamic regime, she left Iran and has continued freelancing journalistic and independent creative work in the U.S. since 2002.
A graduate of Portland State University and the Northwest Film Center in Portland, she received her film degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she teaches various film courses. Boroumand has made award-winning short films, co-produced a student feature (Death to False Hipsters), and has another feature called Riot in Bloom in post-production as a screenwriter and casting director.
Winston Moon (Cinematographer)
Love, filmmaking, yoga, meditation, travel, and being an authentic human. Winston Moon‘s talents have developed quickest with cinematography, but he sees his long game in the craft to be writing and directing. Winston has an intuitive relationship with story and images and is led by his heart in all projects he gets involved with. He feels that breaking things down to essential archetypal elements is a particular gift, and he enjoys finding and romancing the kernel in every story and scene.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
In the wee hours of July 4, 1998, two young men–Lin “Spit” Newborn, a Black poet and musician, and Daniel Shersty, a white U.S. Air Force serviceman–were ambushed and killed by white supremacist skinheads in the desert on the edge of Las Vegas. Both Newborn and Shersty were members of Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (S.H.A.R.P.), the former being targeted particularly due to not only his ethnicity, but his huge standing in the community as a vocal anti-racist activist.
This horrific act was ultimately the culmination of troubles that had been boiling for decades. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, neo-Nazi skinheads were a troublesome presence at punk rock shows in the Las Vegas area, even as they formed their own White Power bands and built a small but strong following for both the music and the hateful message.
The murders of Newborn and Shersty came on the heels of several other tragic events in Las Vegas, including the kidnapping and murder of a young woman, dancer Ginger Rios, who was attached to the same intertwined scene of poets, artists, musicians, writers, and misfits of which Newborn was an active part. But Newborn and Shersty’s killings reverberated far beyond their local community.
“Nobody took the white supremacist threat seriously,” said Heidi Beirich, Ph.D., chief strategy officer and co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “They treated it like it was some just silly gang warfare. They didn’t understand what they were dealing with.”
That all changed after what happened 25 years ago on the Fourth of July.
Murdered on the Fourth of July will explore the environment that fomented the growing presence of neo-Nazi skinheads, especially in the 1980s and 1990s punk rock scene, how that spurred the emergence of reactionary groups such as the Anti-Racist Action and S.H.A.R.P., and how the deaths of Newborn and Shersty made a lasting impact on not only the anti-racist activist community, but on the burgeoning Las Vegas cultural scene of the 1990s.
Why This Story? Why Now?
Independence Day has become a day of remembrance for the countless people who either knew Spit and Dan or know of at least the broad strokes of their story. However, with both the dramatic rise in reported hate crimes and the increased media awareness of neo-Nazi and white nationalist groups in the post-Trump era, the story of this racially motivated double murder is, sadly, more relevant than ever and needs to be shared with a wider audience.
Why This Crowdfunding Campaign?
Although the total budget for the film is approximately $224,000, we’re asking the community to come together help raise a minimum of $12,000, which will support our first round of production: about a week's worth of filming with a small crew in Las Vegas, where we'll be able to capture critical interviews, essential B-roll footage and other important material needed to kickstart this project and position this documentary for success.
Funding for this round of production will cover:
- Cinematographer
- Sound Recordist
- Production Assistant/Swing G&E
- Grip Equipment Rental
- Travel and Meals
- Insurance
Please see our wishlist for the full breakdown of expenses (and needs you can contribute to in-kind). An overview of our full budget is available upon request.
We are also looking for footage and photos related to the subject matter of the film to help tell a more complete visual picture. You can also check out our collateral needs list on the film’s website.
With the material captured in this round of production, we will be able to get closer to having a rough edit/proof of concept of the film that can be used to apply for grants, pitch sales agents and distributors, and show to potential co-producers or financiers in order to get this film closer to completion and release.
Donations Are Tax-Deductible
Your donation to this film is tax-deductible! Murdered on the Fourth of July is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of Murdered on the Fourth of July are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible, less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation, decline the incentive at checkout.
Stretch Goals
If we are lucky enough to exceed our goal for this campaign, that will help push us forward not only into the next stages of production, but also toward more fully realizing the cinematic vision for this film:
- $12,000 - Current goal. Complete core production in Las Vegas.
- $15,000 - Licensing of editorial and stock footage.
- $20,000 - Pacific Northwest interview filming and outreach event.
- $25,000 - Hire an editor!
If you’re interested in being an equity investor or a co-producer instead of providing a donation via this campaign, please contact us directly via our website.
Where We’re At/Where We’re Going
We’ve spent the last year-plus doing extensive research, collecting police reports, court transcripts, and news stories, as well as gathering archival footage and photos. We’ve conducted about a dozen pre-interviews with family, friends, colleagues, law enforcement and legal experts, and we’ve already filmed several on-camera interviews.
Most of the approximately $4,000 already spent so far was either funded by the producer or with generous donations received after the announcement of Murdered on the Fourth of July’s production earlier this year. But to move forward, we need the community’s help. Your support of this campaign–whether through a donation or simply by sharing this campaign with friends, family and colleagues–is essential to giving this project the boost it needs to become a reality.
Estimated Project Timeline:
- October 2023: Orange County interview shoot (October 2023)
- November 2023: Core Las Vegas interview/B-roll/community event shoots (if this campaign is successful!)
- December 2023/January 2024: Portland and/or Seattle interview/community event shoots (dependent on additional funding)
- January/February 2024: Second Las Vegas interview/B-roll/pickup shooting (dependent on additional funding)
- Spring 2024: Conduct (if needed) additional location (travel) filming for interviews, based on subject participation/review of early stage assembly edit (dependent on additional funding)
- Ongoing through production timeline: Gathering, scanning, restoring, upscaling of archival photography and video footage (ongoing through production timeline)
- Ongoing through production timeline: Sourcing environmental and incidental music (not score) (ongoing through production timeline)
- Based on funding received and budget adjustments, selection of editor, composer, post-production facilities prior to start of post-production phase
- Late Spring 2024: Rough edit ready for review and feedback
When Will You See The Documentary?
While we are working to stay on the projected schedule outlined above for the film’s production, the nature of a research-based, expository documentary like Murdered on the Fourth of July means that the uncovering of the story dictates the actual development of the project. This includes availability of interview subjects, archival material, crew, funding, etc. Even after production is wrapped, the timing of release depends on commitments we’ve made with co-producers or distributors.
The best way to stay abreast of the film’s progress and find out when it will be released is to “follow” this campaign for updates or on our social media channels.
Director’s Statement
I’m Pj Perez, a journalist, filmmaker, and the director and producer of Murdered on the Fourth of July. What’s my connection to this story?
Spit and I were friends, mutual denizens of the coffee houses, music venues, and record stores where our community of artists, freaks and outcasts found refuge from the otherwise culturally vacant environs of Las Vegas in the 1990s. Spit was not only ever-present at poetry readings, Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings, and the Huntridge Theater―a concert venue from which his noise-punk band Life of Lies would be ejected for the chaos it caused on stage―but also literally fought against the neo-Nazi skinheads who often turned up at such events. So, when he and Shersty were murdered, that shocking event not only reverberated throughout our scene, but personally hit me like a tiny bomb.
Several years ago, while starting development on another documentary project (which would become the award-winning 2021 feature Parkway of Broken Dreams) rooted in that same subculture from which Spit and I emerged, the world started changing. Fascists were coming to power across the globe. As Donald Trump took office in the U.S., violent hate crimes perpetrated by white supremacists began to rise. The unintentional sacrifice that Spit and Dan made seemed to be in vain.
I realized that with my experience, tools and platforms, I had an opportunity–as well as unique access, being in touch with or close to both friends and family of the victims and having the blessing/involvement of both–to not only bring Spit and Dan’s stories to a much broader audience, but also ensure that, like those of us directly impacted, the rest of the world will also “never forget.”
Thank you for your support.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Grip Equipment Rental
Costs $500
For any outdoor filming, we'll need to rent silks, stands and other grip equipment. If you own these items and want to lend, let us know!
Cinematographer
Costs $2,500
Can't do the filming without our cinematographer, Winston Moon, who is also providing cameras and some lighting equipment.
Sound Recordist
Costs $2,500
We'll need to hire an all-in-one production sound mixer/boom operator to capture the best audio possible, especially in the field.
Production Insurance
Costs $2,500
Safety first! This will pay for insurance for our ENTIRE production to cover the repair or replacement of any gear damaged during filming.
Production Assistant
Costs $1,000
An extra crew member who can float to help with whatever is needed on these shoots -- grip, continuity, expendables, food runs, etc!
Travel
Costs $1,000
Hotel, fuel and related expenses for one crew member to travel to and from Las Vegas.
Meals and Snacks
Costs $1,000
We will ensure no crew member or participant goes hungry throughout the course of this shoot.
Payment Processing Fees
Costs $500
While Seed&Spark does not charge a platform fee, there is a small fee we pay to the payment processor for every pledge charged.
Incentives Production & Shipping
Costs $500
The one thing most crowdfunding campaigns forget to factor in: the cost of fulfilling and delivering backer rewards! Not us.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Pj Perez (Producer/Director)
Pj Perez is a multidisciplinary storyteller whose debut feature, the 2021 documentary Parkway of Broken Dreams, won several film festival “Best Documentary” awards and enjoyed national distribution on public television stations via NETA (as well as being available internationally on a variety of streaming and VOD platforms).
During his 15-year career as a Las Vegas journalist, Perez focused on lifting unheard voices, including in the LGBTQ+, Black, and activist communities. He has written, directed and/or edited several short narrative films and documentaries, as well as the pilot for a nonfiction webseries, and his pilot script for the original drama series, The Foundation, was a finalist in the 27th Annual People’s Pilot Contest.
Roudi Boroumand (Co-Producer)
Roudi Boroumand is an Iranian-American indie filmmaker, film educator and film studies writer/translator. She began her career as a photographer fresh out of the Iranian Youth Cinema Society and soon became an arts and entertainment journalist. Due to the imprisonment of the journalists and the shutting down of the papers that were the voice of opposition against the dictatorship of the Islamic regime, she left Iran and has continued freelancing journalistic and independent creative work in the U.S. since 2002.
A graduate of Portland State University and the Northwest Film Center in Portland, she received her film degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she teaches various film courses. Boroumand has made award-winning short films, co-produced a student feature (Death to False Hipsters), and has another feature called Riot in Bloom in post-production as a screenwriter and casting director.
Winston Moon (Cinematographer)
Love, filmmaking, yoga, meditation, travel, and being an authentic human. Winston Moon‘s talents have developed quickest with cinematography, but he sees his long game in the craft to be writing and directing. Winston has an intuitive relationship with story and images and is led by his heart in all projects he gets involved with. He feels that breaking things down to essential archetypal elements is a particular gift, and he enjoys finding and romancing the kernel in every story and scene.