Arizona – A man in Arizona has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and child endangerment in connection with a 2018 crime that resulted in the death of his former partner. Authorities say the defendant killed his partner before abandoning her baby on the side of the road and later returning to set her body on fire.
The investigation began in March 2018 when a passerby found the 7-month-old baby and called 911. Responding officers determined that the baby was unharmed and discovered a wallet containing the victim’s ID. Authorities later learned that the victim and the defendant had been on their way to take a paternity test when the incident occurred.
The victim was last seen around 9 p.m. after leaving with the defendant. The baby was found just one hour later. The defendant was apprehended several hours after the murder.
During an interview with investigators, the defendant admitted to punching the woman multiple times with a closed fist before leaving her in a field. He told authorities that she was still alive when he left. Realizing the baby was in the back seat, he stopped the car and abandoned the child on the side of the road.
The defendant later returned to the scene, fearing that people nearby might discover what had happened. He poured gasoline on the body and set it on fire. After the fire had burned out, he claims he returned to retrieve the baby but discovered that police had already found the child.
