Murder case tossed against Las Vegas woman accused of killing husband

A judge dismissed one of two murder cases Thursday against a woman accused of killing her husband and then, more than a decade later, her boyfriend.

Rita Colon, 50, was suspected of killing her husband, Edwin Colon, in 2005. In a separate case, she faces a murder charge in the 2016 killing of Leroy Pelton, a former UNLV professor who police have said was Rita Colon’s teacher and boyfriend.

The woman appeared Thursday before District Judge Tierra Jones, who dismissed the earlier case “without prejudice,” meaning that prosecutors can refile charges at a later date.

In 2017, Rita Colon was arrested in Peru, where she is a citizen. Authorities have said she fled after stabbing Pelton.

After learning of her arrest, her former brother-in-law, Luis Colon, contacted Las Vegas investigators about the death of his brother, Edwin Colon, who died in February 2005 from a stab wound to the neck.

According to Luis Colon, their family never believed that Edwin Colon killed himself, even after his death was ruled a suicide. Investigators then re-examined the case, and the Clark County coroner’s office changed Edwin Colon’s manner of death from suicide to “undetermined.”

In 2019, Rita Colon was extradited and later charged with the death of her former husband. Her attorney, Joshua Tomsheck, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the case’s dismissal hinged on the specific terms of her extradition, which limited the offenses for which she could be prosecuted.

Tomsheck said that after researching the case and presenting his findings to prosecutors, both sides agreed that the 2005 murder charge, which came after the request for her transfer, was not permitted under those terms.

The attorney also said prosecutors can only refile if they get approval from Peruvian officials.

Since her arrest, the court has cited concerns regarding Rita Colon’s competency. But court documents indicate that in 2023, the court declared her competent to stand trial.

Though Jones dismissed Rita Colon’s case concerning her husband’s slaying, she noted that the other case still “remains” and is expected to go to trial.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.