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    JMC 301 Courts Story

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    A man is on trial for second degree murder and arson for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend's parents and setting fire to their trailer. Detectives investigated and found evidence linking the man to the crimes. The trial is ongoing.

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    JMC 301 Courts Story

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    api-608776669
    31 views2 pages
    A man is on trial for second degree murder and arson for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend's parents and setting fire to their trailer. Detectives investigated and found evidence linking the man to the crimes. The trial is ongoing.

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    A man is on trial for second degree murder and arson for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend's parents and setting fire to their trailer. Detectives investigated and found evidence linking the man to the crimes. The trial is ongoing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    31 views2 pages

    JMC 301 Courts Story

    Uploaded by

    api-608776669
    A man is on trial for second degree murder and arson for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend's parents and setting fire to their trailer. Detectives investigated and found evidence linking the man to the crimes. The trial is ongoing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    A man suspected of stabbing his ex-girlfriend's parents is currently on trial for second degree

    murder and arson.

    David Holmes was arrested in March of 2021 after his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Allen, called the
    police. According to court documents, Allen said that he had stabbed her parents and set fire to
    their trailer. Holmes was arrested later that night.

    Holmes is suspected to have slit the throats of Phyllis and Steven Allen and setting fire to one of
    the trailer homes on their families property. Based on a phone call to the police, it is believed that
    Phylis was in the trailer home when Holmes started the fire.

    A recording of the call made by Phylis said, “He trapped me in my house. It’s burning, I can’t get
    out.”

    Steven and Phylis Allen were in critical condition when they were taken to the hospital by the
    Maricopa County Fire department. Steven died at the hospital and Phylis remained hospitalized.

    During trial Wednesday, the State attorneys, Linsey Gephardt and Jared Price, brought forth six
    detectives who were working the case as their witnesses.

    Detective Richard Lopez Jr., who works for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in the
    Homicide Bureau, was the overseer of the investigation and confirmed that there were no other
    potential suspects involved in this case.

    “There were never any other investigative leads that suggested there was another person
    involved… we found the knife, and we assumed that was it.” said Lopez while on the stand.

    The suspect murder weapon is a blue utility knife found in the possession of Holmes when he
    was arrested. Blood was confirmed to be on the knife however it was not processed for
    fingerprints or blood type.

    Detective Mark Ridley, who works for the Maricopa County Sheriff's office, is an arson
    investigator. Ridley did most of the investigating regarding the cause of the fire, as well as where
    the starting point was.

    Ridley explained that he examined the building and that because it was burned to the ground he
    had difficulty identifying the exact location of the house. He eventually was able to identify the
    origin of the fire, right by the front door.

    “I deemed it incendiary and I deemed where the starting point most likely would’ve been was
    right by the front door,” said Ridley.
    An incendiary fire, as Ridley explained, is a fire started in an area where there should not be a
    fire and is called so based on the intent of the person who started the fire.

    Holmes’ attorney, Stephen Mercer, attempted to have the arson charges dropped based on the
    lack of evidence of the fire being deemed incendiary and how Ridley was unable to completely
    rule out other potential causes of the fire. The Judge denied this request based on the substantial
    evidence that has already been made against Holmes.

    Holmes was given the option to testify after all of the state witnesses. Holmes decided to
    continue to follow the advice of his attorney and exercise his right to remain silent.

    The attorneys were expected to make their closing statements on Thursday, and the trials are
    continuing through the start of November.

    Sources:
    ATTORNEYS/JUDGE:
    State: Jared Price
    Lindsay Gephardt: (602) 506-5999
    Defense: Stephen Mercer
    Judge: Scott Minder

    STATE WITNESSES:
    Maricopa County Sheriff's Office: (602) 876-1000
    Detective Thomas Sedlacek
    Detective Timothy Robinson
    Detective Kyle Withers
    Detective Richard Lopez
    Detective Luis Bragara
    Detective Mark Ridley (arson expert)

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