The Jodi Arias trial took another turn for the nutty today with a “meltdown” by prosecutor Juan Martinez and, to some extent, the justice system. Arias, who claims she shot, stabbed and nearly decapitated her ex-boyfriend in self-defense, said in her third day of being cross-examined that Martinez was making…
We’re not sure whether this is a serious thing, but right-wingers are touting their response to the attempted recall of Sheriff Joe Arpaio: an effort to recall County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox.Forgive us for being skeptical, but if you think it’s a longshot that Arpaio will be recalled, consider the…
The 26-year-old Tempe man arrested in the murder of former ASU football player Tyrice Thompson pleaded not guilty this morning.MacDonald, a Marine who has a “top security clearance” — at least, according to his lawyer — is accused of stabbing Thompson outside the Martini Ranch bar in Scottsdale on January…
It’s 1:30 p.m., and Monday’s lunch recess has just ended. Jodi Arias has re-taken the witness stand and casts a mellow gaze toward the defense side of the courtroom as she waits for the jury to file in. The afternoon session begins with a long attorney sidebar at the bench…
A Phoenix man with a history of domestic-violence-by-biting pleaded guilty late last week to the 2011 murder of his girlfriend, whose body was found beaten and bitten in a pickup truck.Paul Hamilton pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, as well as kidnapping and threatening, as police said at the time that…
Afternoon recess is over. It’s 1:38 p.m. Prosecutor Martinez begins by asking about her journal entries. Her entry indicates that “Lonnie” was baptized on a Thursday night, as referenced in her previous testimony. The entry goes on to say she went to Travis’ house for the night, “where we explored…
Gavin MacFarlane, the Scottsdale man who shot and killed two people at a strip club in December of 2010, won’t get the death penalty after being found mentally incompetent. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens raised MacFarlane’s bond from $2 million to a cash bond of $5 million following…
It’s about 1:30 p.m., and the afternoon recess in the Jodi Arias trial has ended. Arias is back on the stand, having testified this morning about how she shot Travis Alexander on June 4, 2008, then drove to Utah to meet a guy she liked. She spent a few hours…
We’re live-blogging this morning from the Jodi Arias trial. Be sure to check back frequently for updates. The testimony is beginning right now as her attorney, Kirk Nurmi asks for Jodi to tell what happens when she gets in the shower. This follows yesterday’s testimony, in which she described showing…
Peoria police say skeletal remains found earlier this month in a desert area were identified as Deborah Delaney, a 54-year-old Peoria resident who hadn’t been seen since April 2011.Her husband, a retired Sun City firefighter, was about to be charged with her murder last year even though Delaney’s body hadn’t…
The El Mirage man who stabbed his 76-year-old father to death in April was sentenced today to 16 years in prison, as part of a plea agreement.Albert Arias had told police shortly after the stabbing that he had been “abused by his father his whole life,” and Arias, 47, also…
The Arizona Department of Corrections says convicted murderer Christina Black apparently killed herself on Tuesday.Black, a 52-year-old former Apache Junction resident, had been in prison since 1999, when she was sentenced to life after fessing up to murdering her grandmother with a piece of fruit…
Bryan Teague of Peoria, the suspect in a 5,220-acre wildland fire east of the Valley in August, has been thrown in prison several times for his persistent drinking and driving since 2000. Being a prohibited possessor, he wasn’t allowed to own or carry a firearm when he wandered around 29th…
An armed Phoenix man was shot and killed yesterday as he entered an apartment unit he owned after suspecting that someone might be inside.Police found 31-year-old transient Bobby Hoover minutes later in front of Cortez High School, not even a half-mile away, walking down the street with his meth, a…
Police officials have Christopher Dorner, the alleged murderer and former Los Angeles police officer, in a gunfight right now in the Big Bear area of California. Just a few minutes ago, the action-packed audio feed included CBS correspondent Carter Evans saying by phone that he was “in the middle of…
The pro-gun-control organization headed up by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, released a video ad featuring a plea from Giffords for Congress to act on gun-control proposals.Giffords and Kelly announced the formation of Americans for Responsible Solutions last month, and announced their intentions to get Congress…
Putting a propane tank in a campfire turns out to be an even stupider idea than we thought. After Bryan J. Teague of Peoria put a 16-ounce tank in a campfire on August 8 while on an off-roading trip in the Tonto National Forest, the predictable explosion sparked the 5,220-acre…
A jury convicted a former taxi driver of manslaughter today, for beating a 57-year-old man to death in a 2011 parking-lot-rage incident.Former AAA Taxi driver Gary Gene Mayo actually had a fare in his cab when he began swearing at James Fournier, who was out with his wife and grandchild…
Scottsdale police have “exactly nothing” against the Marine accused of stabbing former ASU football player Tyrice Thompson to death, his lawyer claims.In Ian MacDonald’s initial court appearance for his second-degree murder charge, attorney Jeffery Mehrens also spoke about his client’s career as a Marine, in which he claimed MacDonald has…
Just about every week, we bring you a roundup of visitors to the desert’s own Fourth Avenue Jail. To be considered for our Maricopa County mugshots of the week, get arrested, strike a pose, and we’ll take care of the rest.You may be familiar with the word-association game — one…
Bond was set at $75,000 for the 26-year-old Tempe man arrested in the murder of former ASU football player Tyrice Thompson, and new information has been released in the case.For starters, according to court documents obtained by New Times, although Ian MacDonald — the man accused of stabbing Thompson to…
A Phoenix man took a plea agreement today in a federal stalking case, in which he attempted to “reclaim” his ex-wife in time for their 20th anniversary.According to 49-year-old David Richards’ admission, he only started stalking the woman 15 years after their marriage ended.See also:-Moses Shepard Gets Prison Time for…
