Man surrenders to jail after new indictment on murder charge

A 62-year-old man indicted after his murder case was dismissed has turned himself in to authorities.

But Terry Fulton’s public defender is upset with how prosecutors secured the indictment.

After learning that a no-bail warrant had been issued for his arrest on Thursday, Fulton surrendered to the Clark County Detention Center on Friday afternoon, according to defense lawyer Julia Murray.

“We disagree with the steps taken by the state to obtain the indictment,” Murray said. “The correct method would have been to wait for a ruling on the appeal. We intend to litigate the issue.”

Fulton was released from the jail last week on an unrelated charge of driving under the influence. Fulton now faces one count each of murder of a victim age 60 or older, abuse of an older/vulnerable person, and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm constituting domestic violence.

Prosecutors accused Fulton of pushing 79-year-old Rita Schneider in July 2015 during a quarrel at her east-central valley home. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said the incident stemmed from “an effort to steal her pain medications.” Schneider died several days later.

Schneider suffered broken bones in her back. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer four months earlier, and doctors discovered signs of cancer on her liver and spine.

In October, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melanie Tobiasson threw out a murder charge against Fulton after finding that “egregious” constitutional violations had occurred during a police interrogation.

Prosecutors appealed Tobiasson’s decision to a Clark County district judge, but no decision has been made on the appeal.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.