True Crime Arizona

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The Flagstaff Murder of Kelly Paduchowski Jul 16, 2024

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On June 30th, 2024, Kelly Paduchowski was reported missing by the Flagstaff Police Department after her family said she never came back from a run and swim while training for a race. Her car was found at a local trailhead, but cell phone data put her at another trail hours prior. What then unfolded was an arrest of someone close to Kelly, damning evidence inside her home, a homicide investigation, an all-out search for the mother for days, an unexpected plea deal, and the discovery of Kelly’s remains.

30-year-old Scottsdale cold case solved Jul 02, 2024

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On July 29, 1994, 21-year-old Angela Maher was killed in a crash while going to pick up her friend from Old Town Scottsdale as the designated driver. The woman who hit and killed her, 31-year-old Gloria Schulze, was charged with manslaughter and endangerment after admitting she had been drinking and smoking weed. But after her first court appearance, Schulze vanished and was never seen again. Now, 30 years later, the fugitive was unexpectedly found and questions about where she fled and how she lived since are finally answered, officially closing the case.

A Husband and Wife Vanish with Fugitive Ties Jun 18, 2024

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In March 2020, as the world was shutting down at the beginning of the pandemic, Sandee Hines disappeared from her Mesa, Arizona home. But she didn’t just vanish alone. Her husband, Jason Hines, was also gone. Hines was a convicted criminal and became a fugitive on the run for sex crimes against children. The last known surveillance video of Sandee Hines’ car, shows Jason getting out of it. But ever since, no one has heard from them. Now, Sandee’s mother gives insight into what happened in the days leading up to their disappearance, as she fears her daughter is dead.

The Chad Daybell “Doomsday Prophet” Murder Trial Jun 04, 2024

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For nearly two months, the Idaho man known as the “Doomsday Prophet,” Chad Daybell, faced witness after witness as he stood on trial for the murder of his wife Tammy Daybell, and the murders of Lori Vallow’s two young kids Tylee Ryan, and JJ Vallow. The killings were all tied to radical religious beliefs that a Second Coming was approaching, and people were “light and dark” spirits. Come with us as we dive into some of the most important, powerful, and emotional testimony during the trial, and the moments after the the verdict and sentencing decision on the death penalty were announced.

Horror in Surprise: A baby shot by his father & a home burns during hostage situation May 24, 2024

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On May 17th, 2024, police are called out to a home in Surprise, AZ for an unknown shooting. They learn a woman, Allie, had escaped from being held hostage, but her 6-month-old baby, Jaxson, was still inside with his father and in danger. That man, Todd Marchetti, then shoots his own baby multiple times, and officers go inside to rescue Jaxson. A standoff then ensues, until the house unexpectedly goes up in flames during negotiations. What we learned next from family and friends was Marchetti had planned out days of torture and was in the middle of carrying that out when Allie escaped, after a history of domestic violence.

Link to donate to Jaxson and Allie’s recovery:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-allie-and-jaxsons-path-to-recovery

New details and 911 calls in Mercedes Vega murder case May 21, 2024

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The newly released incident report and 911 calls from the day 22-year-old Mercedes Vega’s body was found in a burning car reveals new details about what was seen on the freeway that day in April 2023. We learn who made the 911 call, what he saw from the road, and what kind of car she was found in – a car that was not hers. Mercedes Vega was shot, hit, and eventually burned alive after going missing from her Tempe apartment complex. Mercedes’s case remains unsolved. Her parents discuss the new details we learned from the report, their frustration with investigation, and share their emotions as they prepare to spread her ashes in Hawaii.

Who killed teen horse trainer Rachel Hansen? May 09, 2024

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On June 4 2022, 19-year-old Rachel Hansen woke up to a stranger in her Gilbert, AZ apartment. The suspect shot her, then left, and Rachel later died at the hospital. The teen had been working for years as a horse trainer and had just moved into that apartment after living on a ranch. Nearly two years later, her murder remains unsolved, but her parents feel two odd circumstances in the days leading up to her death weren’t properly investigated.

Movie armorer from Arizona sentenced for ‘Rust’ movie set death Apr 25, 2024

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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer from Bullhead City, AZ, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for an involuntary manslaughter conviction in the death of Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins was the cinematographer on the movie ‘Rust’ starring Alec Baldwin, when in 2021, a prop gun the actor was rehearsing with on set had a real bullet inside instead of a fake one. When Baldwin fired it during the scene, the bullet struck Hutchins and killed her. We hear what was said at the sentencing hearing during victim impact statements, and why the judge delivered scathing remarks in the courtroom. Alec Baldwin will be facing the same charge in a trial this summer, so does the armorer’s conviction and sentence help or hurt the A-list actor? A criminal defense attorney weighs in.

Phoenix Suns Superfan Mr. ORNG Arrested for Child Sex Crimes Apr 10, 2024

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The high school basketball coach and man famously known for his “Mr. ORNG” character at Phoenix Suns game has now been arrested for soliciting sexual videos and pictures from teen boys. According to police, 37-year-old Patrick Battillo asked male students at the school he coached at to send explicit videos of themselves via Snapchat, in exchange for money. Another teacher at the high school as arrested for hindering the investigation after telling Battillo the police were at school so he could leave before they could question him. True Crime Arizona host Briana Whitney describes the disturbing messages and details we learned about in court documents, the shock from the community, and how “Mr. ORNG” used to portray himself in the media. Reporter Michael Raimondi phones in from the school grounds as students and parents learn about what happened.

911 calls & police report released in the death of Preston Lord Mar 30, 2024

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Queen Creek Police released 42 minutes of 911 calls from the Halloween party where 16-year-old Preston Lord was fatally beaten on October 28, 2023, including the desperate call when people on scene were trying to save his life before police arrived. They also released more than 1,100 pages of the police report. True Crime Correspondent Briana Whitney, chief investigative reporter Morgan Loew, and senior producers Mac Colson and Cody Lillich discuss and analyze the new and notable information, including who allegedly hit and stomped on Preston Lord, which suspects incriminated themselves on Snapchat and through text, who bragged about the horrible actions, what witnesses told police they saw, and the actions one family took to try and cover up their son’s involvement. Seven suspects face first degree murder.

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