Authorities later identified the hand as belonging to Ulyses “Cesar” Molina, whose body was found burned in 2016.
HENDERSON, Nev. — A woman’s discovery of a human hand in a mailbox became a key turn in the murder case against Anthony Newton, who is now serving life without parole for killing Ulyses “Cesar” Molina.
The hand was found in 2018, about two years after Molina’s burned and dismembered remains were discovered in a vacant lot in northeast Las Vegas. Police later determined the hand belonged to Molina. Prosecutors said they could not tell jurors how it ended up in the mailbox, a gap that remained even after Newton was convicted and sentenced.
The discovery gave investigators another piece of a case already marked by missing remains and delayed court proceedings. Molina had been killed around Christmas 2016. Only parts of his body were recovered at first, and his head was never found. Newton, 46, of Las Vegas, was convicted in February 2026 of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree kidnapping. He was sentenced in May to life in prison without parole. At sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Flinn said the state’s evidence showed a level of cruelty beyond the killing itself.
Authorities said the killing began inside an apartment where Molina was confronted over a relationship with Newton’s wife. Court documents said Newton and his brother-in-law, George Malaperdas, attacked Molina and tied him with shoestrings. A witness told police Newton put his foot on Molina’s neck and pressed down until Molina stopped moving. Prosecutors said Newton and Malaperdas dragged Molina into a bathroom after the attack, removed his clothing and wrapped his body in a bedspread. The dismemberment followed, according to the court records cited by prosecutors.
Molina’s first known remains were found Dec. 28, 2016, in a vacant lot near East Lake Mead Boulevard and Marion Drive. Reports from the early investigation said the remains included a torso and legs and had been burned. DNA testing confirmed the remains were Molina’s. The case expanded when investigators connected Newton, Malaperdas and Kelsea Wray Glass to the apartment meeting. Glass was accused in earlier proceedings of helping bring Molina to the location where prosecutors said Newton was waiting. Malaperdas later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
The mailbox evidence stood apart because it appeared long after the killing and while Newton was already in custody awaiting trial. Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly told jurors in earlier proceedings that the state could not answer how the hand got into the mailbox. The public record has not shown a clear connection between the Henderson home and the people charged in the case. That unanswered question did not stop prosecutors from arguing that the broader proof tied Newton to the killing, the restraint of Molina and the later handling of his body.
The motive presented by prosecutors centered on jealousy and revenge. Molina had been involved with Newton’s wife, Jami Malaperdas, during a time when Newton was in prison. Prosecutors said the men accused Molina of having sex with Newton’s wife during the fatal confrontation. A judge limited some testimony about the relationship during the retrial because of concerns that certain claims could unfairly influence jurors. Defense attorneys argued over how much of the affair evidence could be used, but jurors ultimately heard enough for prosecutors to frame the attack as a planned act of payback.
The court process lasted years. Newton’s 2024 trial ended in a mistrial after a witness mentioned his prison history in front of jurors. A later jury could not agree on a verdict. The February 2026 conviction came after another trial in which prosecutors again laid out the apartment meeting, the neck pressure described by a witness, the disposal of remains and the later mailbox discovery. Newton had once faced the possibility of a death sentence, but the case ended with a life-without-parole term after the capital issue was removed.
At sentencing, Judge Jacqueline Bluth said she had heard about Newton’s difficult childhood but had to focus on public safety and the facts before the court. Newton had previously served prison time after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the 1996 killing of Deborah Harvey in Henderson. Relatives of Molina and Harvey were present for the sentencing. Molina’s sister, Celina Gonzalez, said her brother had flaws but was loved by those close to him. Her statement gave the hearing a family voice after years of filings, mistrials and evidence arguments.
Malaperdas is scheduled to be sentenced June 16. Newton’s sentence leaves him in prison for life, but the case still has unresolved questions. Molina’s head has not been found, and officials have not publicly explained how one of his hands reached a Henderson mailbox long after his body was first discovered.
Author note: Last updated May 26, 2026.