The Disappearance of Michelle Bernstein-Schultz

 

Michelle Bernstein-Schultz has been missing since June 29th, 2022. The young woman was last seen at her apartment on 40th Street and East Greenway Road in Phoenix, Arizona. She was 36 years-old at the time she vanished.

Reports indicate that Michelle's live-in boyfriend was the last person to see her on the day she went missing. The boyfriend would later tell both Michelle's family and police that Michelle said she was not feeling well that day and wanted to be left alone. Her boyfriend explained that Michelle was still at the residence when he left for work the day.

When the boyfriend returned home, he said that he went to sleep on their couch. When he awoke the next morning, he went into the bedroom and noticed that, not only was Michelle not there, but it also appeared that her bed had not been slept in. Her boyfriend subsequently contacted police to file a missing person's report. 

Michelle's family members were both extremely worried and baffled when they learned about her disappearance. Many of Michelle's personal items were still at her residence, including her identification, credit cards, and cell phone. Michelle's beloved dog was left at the home as well. Her loved ones have said that it is uncharacteristic for her to leave those items and her dog behind.

Michelle also did not have a habit of abruptly ceasing contact with her family and friends. Her two sons lived with their respective fathers, but she was consistently in touch with them both. She also was frequently in touch with her mother and sister. However, none of the people in Michelle's inner circle have heard from her since the day she vanished. 

While investigating Michelle's disappearance, it was determined that she had been texting with friends before she went missing. She sent her last text message at 4:03PM. After that, all of the outgoing activity on Michelle's phone stopped. 

Reports state that Michelle's hiking sandals and backpack were not found in the home after she disappeared - leading to speculation that she might have left to go hiking. Still, Michelle's family members do not believe she would go hiking without bringing her phone or personal identification. It also seems strange that she would choose to hike after telling her boyfriend she was not feeling well. 

Investigators have stated that foul play is "not evident" in Michelle's disappearance. Michelle's family members believe that, for this reason, police have not taken the case seriously. Her loved ones are still fighting to find answers about Michelle's fate.

The Phoenix Police Department has investigative agency over Michelle's case. If you have any information that could lead to the whereabouts of Michelle Bernstein-Schultz, please contact authorities at 602-262-6151.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Fox 10 Phoenix

NamUs

NBC News

The Murder of Vanessa Romero

 

Vanessa Romero had big aspirations for her life during June 2010. 

The 18-year-old was living in Tucson, Arizona and was raising an infant daughter. Vanessa had plans to finish both her GED and a teen parenting class she had been taking. Her long-term plan was to eventually join the Army to make a living for herself and her child. However, before doing that, Vanessa also hoped to donate a kidney to her mother, who needed a transplant and was on full dialysis. 

Unfortunately, none of these aspirations would come to fruition, as Vanessa was found deceased at Lakeside Park on the morning of June 16th, 2010. Reports state that Vanessa was found with "obvious signs of trauma" to her body. Although her exact cause of death has never been released to the public, investigators quickly revealed that her manner of death was homicide. 

According to her mother, Vanessa received a phone call around 7:00 PM on June 15th, during which she reportedly argued with the person on the other end of the line. Vanessa's mother said she does not know who Vanessa was speaking with, but believes it was a man she had met a few weeks prior and had just began dating. About an hour and a half later, Vanessa told her mother she was going to go to Dairy Queen to get ice cream and then go to the park.

The following morning, Vanessa's mother was notified that Vanessa's body had been found at Lakeside Park. Vanessa's loved ones were immediately filled with both devastation and questions. Her mother stated that she does not know why Vanessa decided to go to Lakeside Park, located over 10 miles away from her home, when there are other parks much closer to the residence. 

Investigators soon learned that a man had seen Vanessa at the park on the evening June 15th. Said man shared this information with a clerk at a convenience store located less than a mile away from Lakeside Park. The man told the clerk that Vanessa was "having an argument with somebody in the park." The clerk later shared this information with investigators; they subsequently made a public appeal for this customer to come forward. Investigators have never actually revealed if this man ever spoke with them and/or provided any information that brought them any closer to finding Vanessa's killer(s). 

Two years after Vanessa's murder, it was reported that police had questioned the man Vanessa was dating at the time of her death, but reportedly "nothing resulted from that." This man has never been publicly identified, nor has he ever been labeled a suspect. Since that 2012 report, there has been minimal reporting on Vanessa's case.

The murder of Vanessa Romero is classified as an unsolved cold case. There is a monetary reward available in exchange for information that could lead to the arrest/conviction of Vanessa's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Pima County Sheriff's Office at (520) 351-4600 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
13 News (2), (3)
88-Crime
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson Weekly

The Disappearance and Murder of Jenika Feuerstein

 

Jenika Feuerstein vanished at the age of 20 on January 3rd, 2009. The young woman was living in Mesa, Arizona at the time of her disappearance. The last known sighting of Jenika occurred at the northeast corner of Mesa Drive and Brown Road, just a few blocks away from her residence. The events that followed that final sighting of Jenika remain a mystery, as she never returned home or contacted her loved ones again.

Jenika's fate remained unknown for over five years. Then, on April 6th, 2014, a group of target shooters in a desert near Apache Lake found a suspicious plastic container. The men opened the container and found something shocking: skeletal remains of what appeared to be a young female, as the remains were covered by women's clothing. 

Police were called to the scene, and investigators soon began to work to identify the deceased. A few days later, it was announced that the remains were that of Jenika Feuerstein. Her death was ruled a homicide.

No arrests have ever been made in Jenika's case, nor have any suspects ever been publicly announced. According to family members, Jenika was struggling with substance abuse at the time of her disappearance. In fact, her mother shared that Jenika had been using heroin since she was in 8th grade. Her loved ones tried to encourage Jenika to get treatment on more than one occasion. Their attempts were reportedly unsuccessful.

After Jenika went missing, there was speculation that her heroin addiction played a role in her disappearance. Additionally, Jenika had an active warrant for shoplifting at the time she vanished - which led to speculation that she was trying to avoid being arrested. However, there was chatter about the person(s) who saw Jenika last before her disappearance as well. 

There are differing accounts about the identity of the person with whom Jenika was last seen. Some reports state the person was an "unknown man", while other reports identify the person as an older man named David L. Hutchison. Jenika reportedly messaged friends around 10:45 PM that evening stating that her and Hutchison were going to come over, but they never arrived. Early reports about Jenika's case state that Hutchison said he dropped her off on the evening of her disappearance and never saw her again. 

According to East Valley Tribune, some of Jenika's friends found Hutchison at a campsite at Coon's Bluff three days after Jenika's disappearance. He reportedly denied knowledge of Jenika's whereabouts. Hutchison has never been labeled as a suspect in Jenika's case.

The location in which Jenika's remains were found years later is an approximate hour-long drive away from Coon's Bluff. After Jenika's remains were identified, investigators made an appeal to the public for anyone who could help them establish a timeline in Jenika's disappearance and murder to come forward. Still, over a decade has passed since Jenika's body was found, and her case still remains unsolved.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office has investigative agency over Jenika's case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at 602-876-1853 or submit a tip online. 

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Sources:
AZ Central
Charley Project
East Valley Tribune, (2)
The Mesa Tribune

More:

• Unsolved cases from Arizona
• Unsolved cases from 2009

The Disappearance of Cynthia Acevedo

 

Cynthia Acevedo has been missing since August 15th, 2019. It is believed that the then-39-year-old was last seen walking past a cemetery in Laveen, Arizona. Cynthia has never been seen or heard from again. She was reported missing on August 31st, 2019. 

Reports state that this sudden disappearance was very uncharacteristic for Cynthia. She was not known to stay out-of-touch with her family members. Investigators have labeled Cynthia's disappearance as suspicious, and they fear that she is deceased.

There are very few additional details available about Cynthia's case. Detectives have not shared any information that they have obtained during their investigation - including any evidence they might have that she is deceased. Any details about who saw Cynthia last or the other events leading up to her disappearance have not been publicly shared.

Over the years, there has been various online speculation about what might have happened to Cynthia. In April 2025, a Phoenix local commented on a Facebook post about Cynthia's disappearance, stating that Cynthia was spotted at a homeless shelter in Phoenix. It appears that this citing has never been confirmed.

The FBI is involved in the search for Cynthia. There is a monetary reward available in exchange for information that could help solve the case. If you have any information that could lead to Cynthia's whereabouts, please contact the Gila River Police Department 520-562-4511 or submit a tip to the FBI.

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Sources:
12 News
Charley Project
FBI
Missing in Arizona
NamUs

The Disappearance and Murder of Emily Pike

 

Emily Pike was only 14 years-old when she was found murdered on February 14th, 2025.

The teen girl had been reported missing over two weeks earlier, after she ran away from the Sacred Journey Inc. group home in Mesa, Arizona. Emily had been in-and-out of the group home since 2023. Prior to entering the group home, Emily grew up on the San Carlos Apache reservation. 

Emily was first brought to Sacred Journey Inc. in late summer 2023, after a second phone call had been made to report that she had been sexually assaulted near her home. The relative accused of assaulting Emily was taken into custody but later released without being charged. Due to concerns for Emily's safety, the San Carlos Apache social services removed her from her home. She was then sent to the Sacred Journey Inc. group home in Mesa - located over 100 miles from the reservation.

Reports indicate that Emily was unhappy about living at Sacred Journey. She ran away from the group home several times over the next two months. Emily also had been hospitalized during that time for self-harm and an attempt to take her own life. In late November 2023, she was sent to a behavioral health facility. Emily spent the next year in the facility before returning to Sacred Journey Inc. in December 2024.

Shortly over a month later, on January 27th, 2025, Emily ran away from Sacred Journey again. This time, she would never return. Weeks later, on February 14th, 2025, dismembered human remains were found in garbage bags off of Highway 60, north of Globe, Arizona. On February 27th, it was confirmed that those remains belonged to Emily Pike. Her death was quickly labeled a homicide.

As of today, no arrests have been made for Emily's murder. Her case has left many unanswered questions - not only about her killer's identity, but also about how cases involving abuse, mental health, missing people, and violence are handled for Indigenous women and children.

More about Emily and the San Carlos Apache.

As previously stated, Emily grew up on the San Carlos Apache reservation. She lived on the reservation with her mother, brother, cousins, and grandmother. The reservation is located in Arizona and is quite large, spanning approximately 1.8 million acres. 

Reports note that there are only 22 tribal police officers employed for the entire reservation. This is potentially why the tribe's fish and game department responded to the 911 call about Emily being sexually assaulted back in 2023. When later asked, the San Carlos Apache Police Chief stated that he was "unsure" why fish and game was sent to the scene instead of a police officer; though he believes that the officers were occupied at that time.

After two reports were made about Emily being sexually assaulted, tribal social services opted to remove her from her family's home and send her to a group home. There is reportedly one small group home on the reservation, but it was at capacity when Emily was removed by social services. As such, she was sent to Sacred Journey Inc. in Mesa - over 100 miles from the only home Emily had ever known. 

Sacred Journey is licensed by Arizona's Department of Children's Services; however, Emily was not considered to be in the custody of DCS while being housed at the group home. The group home has contracts with the San Carlos tribe, which means children from the tribe who are placed there are still considered under tribal custody rather than DCS.

Emily's time at Sacred Journey in 2023.

It appears that Emily was unhappy at Sacred Journey from the start. She was hospitalized for self-harm shortly after arriving at the group home. Then, on September 11th, 2023, Emily and another teenage girl were reported missing from Sacred Journey. The two girls were later found at a local park in Mesa. Both told police officers that they did not want to return to the group home because they would be "forced to clean — scrubbing walls, baseboards, windowsills, and even getting on their hands and knees to scrub grout from the tile."

Later that month, Emily ran away from the group home again. She was found by a police officer, and she yet again told the officer that she did not want to return the group home. Body cam footage shows Emily saying, “I just want to see my mom, the group home is not my home." It's worth noting that, at this time, Emily's mother was barred from having contact with her. 

In that same footage, Emily is also heard saying “I’m not going to go to that f****** group home, I hate it there.” The group home subsequently requested that Emily get checked out a mental health facility. She was brought to the facility shortly thereafter but was eventually returned back to Sacred Journey. 

Emily ran away from the home two additional times between September and November of 2023. Then, on November 8th, 2023, Emily attempted to take her own life. She was subsequently sent to a hospital where she spent the next few weeks.

Late November 2023 - December 2024.

After being released from the hospital, Emily was permitted to be picked up by her aunt and uncle so she could spend the Thanksgiving holiday with relatives. They took a road trip through Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. During this time, relatives raised concerns about Emily's behavior.

The day after Thanksgiving, Emily reportedly had a disagreement with family members. The argument prompted her to run away. When Emily was later located by a police officer, she refused to return to her relatives. She also expressed that she was feeling suicidal. This incident led to Emily being hospitalized again. Afterwards, she was put on a flight back to Arizona, where she was taken to another mental health facility. 

Emily spent the next year in the mental health facility. When she was released in December 2024, she was taken back to Sacred Journey Inc.

January 27th, 2025: Emily runs away for the final time.

On January 27th, 2025, Emily ran away from Sacred Journey again. Reports state that she left the home around 7:00 PM. After staff at the group home searched for her themselves to no avail, they called police to report her missing around 8:20 PM.

Once the missing persons' report was made, it was determined that Emily had been spotted on foot around 7:45 PM - approximately 45 minutes after leaving the group home - on Mesa Drive and McKellips Road. This is the last known sighting of Emily alive.

Both police and the group home employees spent the next few days checking areas around Mesa that were familiar to Emily. Unfortunately, they were unable to locate her. Police also spoke to Emily's roommate at the group home. She told them that Emily planned to meet up with a boy that she met while taking guitar lessons. However, police were unable to find any evidence that this had taken place.

By January 29th, a statewide missing person bulletin was issued for Emily Pike. Information about her disappearance began to circulate on the local news and on social media. 

February 2nd - February 11th, 2025: social media rumors and a voicemail.

On February 2nd, 2025, an unknown caller left a voicemail at the group home, stating that Emily had returned to the San Carlos Apache reservation and was with her mother. Interestingly enough, the group home did not notice such a voicemail had been left until February 7th - five days after the original call. 

However, on February 6th, 2025 - a day before staff noticed the voicemail - an anonymous Facebook post also claimed that Emily was on the reservation with her mother. Her mother denied this and stated that she had not seen or heard from Emily.

The following day, the group home staff finally accessed the voicemail. The police reviewed the message on February 11th. Emily's mother continuously denied knowing of her daughter's whereabouts, and after police investigated these claims, they too determined that the voicemail was false. 

February 14th, 2025: human remains found.

On February 14th, 2025, police in Gila County were called after suspicious looking garbage bags were spotted on Highway 60 near Globe, Arizona. The bags were found on a trail near mile marker 277. Detectives on the scene made a gruesome discovery inside the bags: a head and torso inside one, and severed legs inside the other.

The human remains were found over 100 miles away from where Emily was last seen in Mesa. They were found, however, close to the San Carlos Apache reservation. On February 19th, 2025, the Bureau of Indian Affairs contacted police, suspecting that the remains belonged to Emily Pike.

February 27th, 2025: Emily is identified.

On February 27th, 2025, authorities confirmed that the human remains were formally identified as that of Emily Pike. It was then announced that she had been murdered and dismembered. A public appeal was made for individuals with information about her case to come forward.

Questions about the group home and jurisdictions.

The day after Emily's remains were identified, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) opened a licensing inquiry into Sacred Journey Inc. It was determined that group home staff followed the protocols that were in place when Emily ran away. Still, there has been scrutiny about the safety measures at the home itself. 

Emily is one of 30 children who have been able to leave the group home without notice. It appears that there is not any footage of Emily escaping from the group home, though it has been determined that she was able to leave through the window.  Many have questioned if the building was secure enough to house children who were at risk of running away. 

Additionally, as previously noted, Emily was still in custody of the San Carlos Apache tribe when she was at Sacred Journey Inc. A 2025 report on Emily's case explains this a little further, explaining that, "because Emily was in the custody of the tribe — a sovereign nation — certain reporting requirements outlined in Arizona law when a child in DCS custody goes missing didn’t apply to her."

It was also noted that, due to this, the department did not have access to information that would have allowed them to contact her family and friends. The discrepancies between the tribal law and state law caused a breakdown in communication about Emily's case - which is why her family members were not immediately informed about her disappearance.

Emily's case has prompted lawmakers to push for new legislation surrounding both group home protocols and tribal laws. Many are advocating for children to be listed as missing - rather than a runaway - if they go missing while being housed in group homes. There are also advocates pushing for new protocols surrounding communication between DCS and tribes. 

Who killed Emily?

At this time, no arrests have been made for Emily's murder. No persons of interest or suspects have been publicly announced. Although Emily vanished from Mesa, her remains were found over 100 miles away in Globe - which has led to several questions such as: how did she end up there? Was she killed in Mesa and left in Globe? Or was she brought to the area before being killed?

In early June 2025, it was reported that search warrants were served, and a person of interest was interviewed. Still, Emily's killer remains unknown. The FBI has joined the murder investigation, and a monetary reward in exchange for information that could lead to an arrest/conviction has been posted.

If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Emily Pike, please submit a tip.

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Sources:
ABC 15

AZ Family
Crime Timelines
Fox 10
NBC News
UAB
Utah News Dispatch

The Murder of Casandrah Poole

Casandrah Poole was found brutally murdered in Tucson, Arizona on the morning of March 13th, 2024. 

It was approximately 9:00 AM when a passerby spotted a woman's body in a drainage tunnel near Wilmot Road and Stella Road. Police responded to the scene and noted the deceased woman had suffered traumatic injuries. The victim was soon identified as 33-year-old Casandrah -- a Green Valley native and a mother of two young sons. 

Reports state that Casandrah frequented the area where she was found. The flyer created by Tucson PD/Crimestoppers says that she had walked to a friend's house the night before she was found murdered. It's believed Casandrah was walking home when she was savagely attacked and killed. 

Source: 88crime.org

Investigators and Casandrah's family members alike are left with several unanswered questions; namely: Who killed Casandrah and left her in a drainage tunnel? And why? The spot where Casandrah was found is reportedly "an area full of traffic, apartments and houses." As such, Casandrah's family believes someone must have seen something on the night Casandrah was murdered.

A monetary reward is available in exchange for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for Casandrah's death. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Tucson Police Department at 520-882-7463 or submit a tip online. 

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Sources:
88-Crime
Arizona Daily Star
City of Tucson
Go Fund Me
News 4 Tucson, (2)

The Murder of Christina Leonard

Source: KVOA.com

Christina Leonard was only 33 years-old when her life was brutally taken in July 2019. 

The young woman was a resident of Tuscon, Arizona. She was also five months pregnant at the time of her death. Christina and her loved ones were looking forward to the arrival of her baby girl. Unfortunately, both Christina and her unborn child were killed on July 3rd, 2019.

It was around 11:00 AM when a Pima County resident driving by the 4900 block of Cactus Wren Avenue spotted a woman lying on the ground. The resident called 911 and reported seeing "a woman that appeared to have collapsed." Police responded to the scene and found that the woman was actually deceased. 

Said woman was soon identified as Christina Leonard. Her body was found on the ground next to her vehicle. Christina had suffered obvious signs of trauma, and her death was subsequently classified as a murder. 

It was eventually determined that Christina was last heard from around 9:30 AM on the morning of the murder. By approximately 11:00 AM, her body was found. Christina was killed within that 90-minute timeframe, during which, according to investigators, "she may have traveled to meet someone."

Authorities have never revealed the exact cause of Christina's death. In 2022, Pima County Detective Lisa Johnson told reporters that they declined to disclose this information because it's "information only the suspect would know." However, Johnson did share that the investigators believe Christina knew her killer. 

Details about the investigation have otherwise been kept under wraps. While dozens of warrants have reportedly been served, detectives have not released any names of potential suspects or persons of interest. It's been noted that Christina was a private person, which has made her murder even more difficult to solve. As such, both investigators and Christina's family members have appealed to the public in hopes that someone with information that could solve the case will come forward. 

If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Christina Leonard, please contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at (520) 351-4900 or submit an anonymous tip online. 

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Sources:
13 News
AP News
News 4 Tucson, (2)

The Murders of Melissa Mason and Nicole Glass

Source: nbcnews.com

Melissa Mason and Nicole Glass were brutally murdered inside their Phoenix, Arizona home during December of 2010. The two women were roommates and friends; both also worked as bartenders. Melissa and Nicole were only 27 years-old at the time they were killed. 

A friend of both women stopped by their East Cambridge Avenue residence on December 3rd, 2010, and made a horrific discovery: Melissa and Nicole were dead. Police were immediately called to the scene, and it was soon determined that the women had been strangled to death. However, there was reportedly "nothing to indicate a violent struggle or fight before their deaths." There were also no signs of forced entry or a robbery. 

The case was ruled a triple homicide, as Melissa was eight weeks pregnant at the time of the murders. In fact, Melissa and her boyfriend/father of the child had attended a sonogram appointment the day before the killings. The boyfriend has reportedly been extensively questioned and has taken polygraph tests related to the case. He has never been labeled a suspect. 

Several years have passed, and the homicide case remains unsolved. The families of both Melissa and Nicole are left without justice. The murders of Melissa and Nicole have left both loved ones and investigators alike with unanswered questions: who killed these young women? And why?

More about Melissa and Nicole.

Source: thedeckpodcast.com

Melissa and Nicole met five years before their murders when they both worked as bartenders at an adult nightclub in Phoenix. The two became best friends and, eventually, roommates. Nicole purchased the single-story home where the women lived in the 4200 block of East Cambridge Avenue during 2006. What was once a happy living environment between two best friends quickly turned into a tragic crime scene when Melissa and Nicole were found murdered inside the home on December 3rd, 2010. 

According to reports, both women were about to begin new chapters in their life shortly before they were killed. Nicole had resigned from her job as a bartender, and she was close to finishing her communications degree from the University of Phoenix. Melissa was still bartending, but she was also pursuing a career as a dental hygienist and had recently graduated from Pima Medical Institute.

As previously noted, Melissa was also eight weeks pregnant at the time of the murders. While she had already told her sister the news, Melissa planned to surprise her mother on Christmas by telling her about the pregnancy. In fact, a Ziplock bag with a positive pregnancy test was found amongst Melissa's belongings. "Merry Xmas!" was scribbled across the bag.

The murders.

source: silentwitness.org

Melissa and Nicole were reportedly last seen alive at their home by Melissa's boyfriend. After Melissa's boyfriend left that evening, both women sent text messages from their respective cell phones. It's unclear, when, exactly, their last messages were sent.

As stated on the card above, investigators believe Melissa and Nicole were murdered sometime after 8:00 PM on December 2nd, 2010. Their bodies were discovered at 12:22 PM on December 3rd, 2010. Melissa and Nicole were found in different parts of the house, but both women had been strangled. 

Nothing was stolen from the residence, so a robbery was ruled out as a motive. There were no signs of forced entry. Both women had defensive wounds, which indicates they fought the attacker, but there was otherwise nothing to indicate a major fight or violent struggle in the home. 

Who killed Melissa and Nicole?

source: 12 News

By all accounts, Melissa and Nicole were loving and fun young women. It's hard to imagine how anyone could take such vibrant lives so senselessly, and it's even harder to imagine why. However, there are a few aspects in the lives of both women that are worth looking into for potential theories.

Melissa's boyfriend. 

Melissa's boyfriend/father of her unborn child was inevitably looked into as a potential suspect in the beginning of the investigation. Aside from the fact that it is standard procedure to question significant others of murder victims, Melissa's boyfriend was also the last person known to have seen Melissa and Nicole alive before their murders. 

There was another major reason to suspect the boyfriend as well: Melissa's pregnancy. Since she was only eight weeks along at the time of her death, it's likely that the news of the pregnancy was still fresh to both Melissa and her boyfriend. The couple had also just gone to their first sonogram appointment together, which likely brought the pregnancy further into reality for both of them. 

The couple also had not been together for very long prior to Melissa getting pregnant. In fact, Melissa's family members had just recently met him at Thanksgiving, just days before the murder. If Melissa's boyfriend did not want this baby, this could have been a potential motive. However, this does not appear to be the case. According to reports, the boyfriend has cooperated with the investigation, submitted DNA, and passed a polygraph exam. 

Melissa's family members also do not believe he is the killer. Melissa's sister told reporters that the boyfriend kept in touch with them in years following the murders and was always very respectful. At this time, the boyfriend is not considered a suspect.

Nicole's charges and her mother's lawsuit.

After the news broke about the murders of Melissa and Nicole, it was also reported that Nicole had recently "pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement in a 2009 drug investigation that involved dozens of defendants." She was sentenced to probation as a result. Nicole's family said that the charges were going to be appealed. 

There has been speculation that these charges could be related to the murders, especially since dozens of people were involved. Nicole's mother, Rachel Glass, eventually hired a private investigator who reportedly received a tip that Nicole was a confidential informant for the Phoenix police while she was on probation. 

Upon receiving this information, Nicole's mother Rachel began to believe that Nicole might have been targeted for snitching. In 2016, Rachel filed a lawsuit against Phoenix police, claiming that "members of the Phoenix Police Department put her daughter to work as a confidential informant and that arrangement led to her death." 

The lawsuit states that "Phoenix police officers recruited Nicole to be a confidential informant, but failed to adequately train, watch, or protect her." The police department denied these allegations and said that Nicole was never an informant. It does not appear that the police have investigated a link between Nicole's 2009 charges and her murder. Still, there is still speculation about this being a potential motive in the case for various reasons. This topic will be revisited in a bit below. 

Various visitors at their residence & the broken gate lock.

Melissa and Nicole reportedly had several visitors to their home in the days leading up to their murders. Amongst those visitors was a man named Johnny, who had been employed by Nicole to re-finish the floors in the house. Johnny told police that he had provided Nicole with an estimate in October 2010, and his work in the house began on December 1st, 2010 - just two days before Melissa and Nicole were found murdered. 

Johnny said that he and his crew - who also happened to be his siblings - worked at the house on December 1st and 2nd. Throughout his time there, Johnny noted that Melissa was home most of the time, while Nicole came and went often. Nicole also seemed to have several visitors in and out of the house. 

One such visitor is a man named Jose, a mutual friend of both Melissa and Nicole. Jose came over to the house on December 2nd, 2010 - a day before they were found murdered. Jose was a frequent visitor to the residence, and he initiated meeting up with police after he heard that Melissa and Nicole had been killed. 

Jose told police that when he first came over on December 2nd, both Melissa and Nicole were home. Johnny and his crew were also there, working on the floors. While there, Nicole asked Jose to take out the garbage, but noted that the key to their backyard gate was missing, so he'd have to walk around the block to get to the garbage bins. 

Jose playfully replied that he was not going to walk that far to take out the garbage, but he agreed to later remove the lock from the gate altogether so Melissa and Nicole could open gate's door without the key. Jose then continued to hang out with Melissa and Nicole for a bit. 

At some point, Melissa and Nicole had to leave for a doctor's appointment. They asked Jose to tag along, but he decided to stay while the workers were in the house. While the two were gone, Jose went about removing the gate lock, as he told them he would. He eventually ended up breaking the lock gate off with a hammer. 

Jose said that he waited around for a little longer for the women to return. He called both of their phones, but his calls went unanswered. He eventually left before they returned and went to another friend's residence. 

The information that Jose provided about the broken lock gate led police to speculate whether or not the killer entered/exited the home through the backyard by going through said gate. Since Nicole stated that the key was missing, it's possible that someone had stolen it with the intent of using it to enter their house later. However, since the gate was broken at the time of the killings, the killer had access to the backyard either way. 

Johnny, the worker who was re-finishing the floors, told police that Melissa and Nicole seemed very trusting. They appeared to be comfortable leaving Johnny and his crew at the home while they weren't there, and it also appeared that they often kept their doors unlocked. 

Jose, Johnny, and the crew all cooperated with the investigation, and all provided DNA samples to the detectives. None of them have ever been publicly labeled as suspects in the case. 

A call about Melissa's ex.

On December 14th, 2010 - just 11 days after the murders - a woman called Phoenix police and stated that Melissa's ex-boyfriend had a history of stalking and making threatening comments. The caller said she believed that if Melissa's ex-boyfriend had found out that Melissa was pregnant with another man's baby, it may have "set him off."

Investigators wanted to question the ex-boyfriend after receiving this information, but it took a while for them to track him down. Detectives were eventually able to arrange an interview with him in early 2011. The ex-boyfriend told investigators that he and Melissa were once engaged, and he had lived with her and Nicole for a time before they ended their relationship.

The ex-boyfriend also seemingly admitted that their relationship had some bumps in the road. He said that he did not like how many men came and went at Melissa and Nicole's residence. It's possible this caused a rift in their relationship, but he denied having ever threatened Melissa, and he denied involvement in the murders. 

Melissa's ex-boyfriend also told police that he was unhappy when he heard about her pregnancy because he thought it was too soon for her to be starting a family with a new boyfriend. However, he claimed that he did not know she was pregnant until after her death. 

Questions about an intended target.

The ex-boyfriend agreed to provide a DNA sample to investigators. He also told police that he did not believe Melissa was the intended target; that it had to have been Nicole. It's noted that this notion has been implied by several other people, including Melissa's boyfriend at the time of the murder, Melissa's family members, and Nicole's own mother. 

At first, there were seemingly reasons to believe there was more of a motive for Melissa's killing than Nicole's. Not only was Melissa newly pregnant by a new boyfriend, but she also was allegedly struggling with an ex-boyfriend who had threatened her life. However, the boyfriend/father of the child immediately cooperated with the investigation, and the ex-boyfriend eventually cooperated as well. 

As noted, both Melissa's new boyfriend and ex-boyfriend stated that they did not believe she was the intended target of the killings. Melissa's sister Samantha also does not seem to believe she was the target. In 2023, Samantha told reporters, " I believe that my sister was collateral damage. Wrong place, wrong time." 

This statement from Samantha sort of echoes what was said by both Melissa's boyfriend and ex-boyfriend - that Melissa was not the target in the killings. It appears that those close to the investigation believe that Nicole was the intended target. 

As previously noted, Nicole's mother believes that Nicole was an informant for the police at the time of her death, and that she was killed as a result. Phoenix police deny that Nicole was an informant, but it's unlikely that they'd willingly offer up that information if she was actually working with them. This also leads to questions of a police cover-up playing a role in the deaths of Melissa and Nicole. 

It's worth noting that this theory has never been confirmed. Detectives have remained quiet about the status of the investigation, and there are conflicting reports about their work on the case. While Melissa's mother seems to have a more positive relationship with the detectives, Nicole's mother's lawsuit implies her relationship with investigators is not so great. 

Where the case stands today.

There are several viable theories about who might have killed Melissa and Nicole. At this time, no arrests have been made, nor have any suspects been publicly labeled. Years have passed without answers or justice. 

There is a monetary reward of $10,000 for anyone with information that could help solve this case. If you have information that could help the investigation, please contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

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Sources:
12 News
ABC 15
AZ Central
The Deck Podcast
Deseret News
NBC News
Phoenix New Times

The Murder of Jaelynn Alston

image source: silentwitness.org

Jaelynn Alston was brutally murdered in Phoenix, Arizona during January 2020. The teen had been reported missing on January 9th, 2020 after she fell out of touch with her family. A week later, Jaelynn's body was found inside an office building near 43rd Avenue and Indian School Road. She had suffered several extensive injuries and it appeared that she had been deceased for several days.

Jaelynn's family members describe her as an independent person who had aspirations of becoming a nurse. She had just recently celebrated her 18th birthday prior to her untimely death. According to her father, Jimmie Alston, Jaelynn's new status as a legal adult led to her independence growing further. It became normal for Jaelynn to come and go for a few days at a time - but she always kept in touch with her loved ones. 

Jaelynn was last seen by her family members around 11:00 PM on New Year's Eve, December 31st, 2019. Over the following few days, she kept in touch with her father via text and remained active on social media. Jaelynn's father last heard from her on January 5th, 2020. After that, she fell out of touch and stopped posting on social media. Her father reported her missing a few days later. 

On January 16th, 2020, a cleaning crew at the west Phoenix office building reported an odor coming from one of the rooms. The room was subsequently opened, and the body of a teen girl - later identified as Jaelynn - was found inside. It was clear that she had been the victim of a brutal murder. 

In 2021, it was reported that the man who leased the room where Jaelynn was found is considered a person of interest. However, this man has never been publicly identified. Since then, very few details about the investigation into Jaelynn's murder have been revealed.

Silent Witness is offering a $1000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to Jaelynn's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip.

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Sources:
AZ Central
Fox 10 Phoenix , 2
Silent Witness

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about this case. The information provided in this post is information that was found through various sources on the internet. If any information on this post is inaccurate, please contact the author via email at truecasefiles@gmail.com or through Instagram and the errors can be corrected. Additionally, if you have any information that could improve the accuracy or quality of this post, please contact the author. 

The Disappearances & Deaths of Sitlalli Avelar & Kamryn Meyers

On the evening of January 21st, 2023, authorities in Mesa, Arizona received a call about an unusual object floating in a water retention basin near Southern Avenue and Superstition Springs Boulevard. A man walking his dog near the basin had spotted what he thought was a mannequin in the water. When police arrived, they determined that the man had actually spotted the body of a young female. While investigating the scene, police found the body of another young female just 10 feet away. 

Days later, the bodies were identified as Sitlalli Avelar (17) and Kamryn Meyers (15) - two teens who had vanished earlier that month. Sitlalli and Kamryn were both staying at a group home in Mesa run by Powerhouse Youth Facility Inc. They reportedly ran away from the facility together on January 7th, 2023. The group home's staff members reported Sitlalli and Kamryn missing that same day.

According to reports, both Sitlalli and Kamryn had a history of running away. The staff at their group home heard that the two girls had been hatching a plan to leave, and procedures were followed to encourage them to stay. Arizona law prohibits state-licensed group homes from forcing children to remain there, so the staff members were limited in what they could do to prevent Sitlalli and Kamryn from leaving.

When it was discovered that the girls had followed through on their plan to run away, the staff members immediately followed the proper protocols with both police and the Department of Child Services. Hope was held out that Sitlalli and Kamryn would resurface, but nobody had seen or heard from either of them since they left the group home. One of Kamryn's friends reported that she had been inactive in their group chat, which was unusual. Both girls had also been inactive on social media. 

The whereabouts of the girls remained unknown for 14 days until their bodies were found on January 21st. The medical examiner's office took months to determine their exact causes of death. Police initially suspected foul play was involved. However, no suspects or persons of interest were publicly announced.

In March 2023, it was announced that the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the deaths of Sitlalli and Kamryn as accidental. The Medical Examiner's Office specifically stated that their causes of death were "drowning in the setting of acute alcohol intoxication." 

However, in that same report, it was stated that investigators were still unsure how, exactly, the girls ended up in the water basin or where the girls went after they first were reported missing. At the time of this reporting, police were still investigating. It's unclear if any new information has been uncovered since then.

If you have any information regarding the deaths of Sitlalli and Kamryn, please contact investigators at 480-644-2211.

Sources:
12 News
ABC 15, 
Oxygen
People
WAFB 9