Man indicted in death of mother

A 21-year-old man was indicted by a Clark County grand jury in the death of his mother and the rape of another woman.

James Lee Mosley faces six felony counts including murder, attempted murder, sexual assault and burglary.

Authorities believe that around Sept. 3 Mosley raped a woman at the Fergusons Motel in the 1000 block of Fremont Street.

According to the indictment, Mosley also strangled the woman during the sexual assault.

A few days later, prosecutors believe he strangled to death his mother, Yulandia Evette Kiser, 35.

On Sept. 13, Las Vegas police officers found Kiser's decomposing body in the bathroom of a unit at Sunflower Apartments, at 1500 Fremont St., north of Oakey Boulevard.

Later in September, Mosley was arrested in California for violating parole in San Diego, where he had a lengthy criminal history, including an armed robbery conviction at age 13.

He also was a convicted sex offender at the age of 19 for pimping teenaged girls in San Diego.

Prosecutors believe it will take several months before Mosley is extradited from San Diego to Las Vegas to face the charges.

According to Mosley's arrest warrant, he moved to Las Vegas in early September to live with his mother.

After receiving complaints about a smell coming from Mosley's apartment, a maintenance employee tried to investigate what he suspected was a "broken toilet."

Mosley refused to let him inside and "was adamant there was no problem," the employee told police.

Mosley moved from the complex days later.

Kiser's body was found covered with a bed sheet, and baby powder had been sprinkled over the sheet, police said.

A towel was placed at the bottom of the bathroom door, and partially burned incense sticks were found in the apartment, apparently to mask the smell, police said.

Clark County medical examiners were unable to determine the cause of death for Kiser because of the decomposition.

After Mosley's arrest in California he denied involvement in his mother's death and said Kiser kicked him out of the apartment Sept. 6 or Sept. 7 after an argument.

Mosley said scratches and bite marks on his arms must have come from his girlfriend, Ebony, police said, and indicated his mother's ex-boyfriend "Big" or "Ramel" might have been responsible.

Detectives interviewed Ebony, who said she met Mosley after he returned to California on Sept. 10 and noticed he had a "very foul odor about himself."

Ebony told police that she and her family confronted Mosley about Kiser's death and that he admitted to choking his mother "for about six minutes" until blood came from her mouth.

She also told police that Mosley said he made up a story about a fake boyfriend in Las Vegas to deflect suspicion.

Police also obtained text messages Mosley is alleged to have sent to Ebony's sister, Antoinette, in which he admitted killing his mother and said he wanted to kill himself because of the stress.

The case probably will be reviewed by the Clark County district attorney's death penalty committee because there is at least one aggravating circumstance: Mosley was on parole at the time of the slaying.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.