Court upholds convictions in death of Jane ‘Cordova’ Doe

CARSON CITY -- The state Supreme Court unanimously upheld the murder convictions of a Las Vegas couple in the 2006 killing of a 3-year-old girl known as Jane "Cordova" Doe, who was beaten and dumped in a trash bin.

In separate decisions, the court Thursday upheld the convictions of Gladys Perez and her former boyfriend, Marc Colon.

Both had argued that several legal mistakes were made at their trials, but justices said any mistakes were harmless and the "issue of guilt was not close."

The girl's beaten and bruised body was found in a trash bin at a Las Vegas apartment in February 2006, triggering a nationwide investigation to identify the girl and her killer.

Six weeks later, authorities identified her as Crystal Figueroa and arrested her mother, Perez, and Colon, on murder charges.

At trial, Perez and Colon blamed each other for brutalizing the girl and causing the injuries that led to her death.

An investigation found Colon did not want to take Crystal, who was clinging to life after being beaten, to a hospital for fear of a parole violation. The couple had driven to a hospital but drove away without going inside. Authorities said the girl might have lived if she received medical treatment.

An autopsy found the girl suffered a lacerated pancreas, two broken ribs, scrapes on her face and bruises on her back, buttocks, arms, chest and stomach.

A jury convicted Colon and Perez on murder and child abuse charges. Colon, 33, was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. Perez, 29, was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years.

Contact reporter Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.