I moved to Sunnyslope in 2008. Sunnyslope is actually improvement from when I first moved to Arizona in 1984, living out of the back of my car or — moving up in the world — in a co-worker’s 20 ft. travel trailer that had no electricity or plumbing, but plenty of air circulating between the holes in the floor and windows. Motel 6 was a rare treat!
Since 2009 — excluding 2014-2016 — Phoenix has averaged 146 murders per year (ref1 ref2). Phoenix is 517 sq. miles. So, Phoenix averages one murder per 3.54 sq. miles per year. Sunnyslope is 9 sq. miles, by the larger definition; 7.5 by my definition; about 5½ after subtracting the Phoenix Mountains Preserve.
So, by its size, Sunnyslope should expect 1.55 murders / year. Instead, it seems like Sunnyslope gets 3 or so, most years, or nearly double its expected share.
The first murder I remember is one of Sunnyslope’s most infamous …
Palma Park Murder (2009)
Palma Park is located across 12th St. and Dunlap Ave. from the Shell gas station where Misty Lee Wilke dropped her battered Mustang. 12th St. is the quickest way to get from Sunnyslope to the Piestewa Freeway, or to where I worked on Missouri St. I drive by Palma Park all the time.
On October 3rd, 2009, at 1:30 a.m., Kelly Ann Jaeger, a white woman, and Jeffery Wellmaker, a black man described as her “boyfriend”, both high on drugs & alcohol, were walking along a Palma Park sidewalk. They were arguing about using more drugs, when a shirtless “muscular white male” confronted them. Travis Ricci — who was later identified by his distinct stomach tattoo (see above) — yelled racial slurs and demanded “What are you doing with that white woman?”
Jaeger and Wellmaker walked away. Ricci returned to the neo-Nazi Vinlander’s Social Club.
The Sunset Manor Apartments, at 415 E. Puget Ave., were a sober 20 minute walk west on Townley Ave. from Palma Park. Sunset Manor was notorious for criminal activity: One third of all service calls — as many as six in a day — in what is currently Phoenix P.D. Desert Horizon precinct’s 624 beat were to Sunset Manor.
Later that morning, Jaeger and Wellmaker stopped at a payphone, outside Sunset Manor, to sell drugs. As Jaeger spoke on the payphone, a car driven by Vinlander Aaron Schmidt, with Ricci literally riding shotgun, drove by. Schmidt did a quick u-turn. Ricci, now facing Sunset Manor, fired two blasts, wounding Wellmaker, and killing Jaeger.
All had prison records: Ricci for kidnapping, endangerment and agg assault. Schmidt for weapons, burglary and escape. Wellmaker for drugs and auto theft. Jaeger, for identity theft, had only been out of prison 10 weeks.
It took a year to track down the perps. When Ricci was arrested, he was in jail — a not uncommon occurence — for shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall, and then stabbing two good samaritans.
Sunset Manor — which had been a member in good standing of Phoenix’s “Dirty Dozen” slum properties — was torn down in October, 2010.
Other than a short jail stint where he was in the same pre-trial block as Ricci — even playing chess with him! — Wellmaker appears to have since kept his nose clean.
David Fecke-Stoudt, a third Vinlander, was jailed for threatening a witness. Aaron Schmidt — who turned state’s witness — got 14 years. In March, 2019, Ricci was sentenced to “natural life” (i.e. cannot be paroled, or released, for any reason).
Rosario Cortez Homicide (2016)
Around 6:15 p.m., on September 2, 2016, a fight occured at 2nd Way and Alice Avenue. During the shenanigans, a 17-year old male shot Rosario Cortez to death. The teen — who admitted the shooting — was charged with 2nd degree murder and booked into juvie. And that’s all I could find. No case disposition, for better or worse. I dunno. Maybe it was ruled self defense under Arizona Revised Statute 13-411? 🤷🏻♂️
Kevin Ore Murder (2014)
On May 7th, 2014, Kevin Ore worked late at Rum Runner’s Bar, for the safety of a female coworker. (Rum Runner’s Bar is on 7th Street, just north of the Arizona Canal.) Kevin and the coworker closed the bar at 2:00 a.m. At 5:45 a.m., the 35-year old Navy veteran, and stage 4 cancer survivor, was found shot to death in the street, just around the corner at 8th St. and Las Palmaritas Dr.
The QuikTrip on the corner is an off ramp for vagrants travelling the Arizona Canal (aka, the “homeless highway”). They use the restrooms and get cheap drink refills. I stop there several times a week. Ore was known to give food to transients he encountered in the area.
Robbery did not appear to be a motive, as Ore still had his valuables. Nor was Ore known to lead a “high risk lifestyle” (like some of the others in this blog). There were no signs of a struggle. Police do not know if Ore was killed where he was found, or killed elsewhere then dumped at 8th St. and Las Palmaritas Dr.
The Kevin Ore murder is unsolved.
If you have information on the case, contact Silent Witness.
Michael Joe Jolls (2019)
On Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 11:30 a.m., driving south on 7th St., I rolled up on a massive police scene at Northern Ave. (the southern border of Sunnyslope). I dodged down Las Palmaritas Dr., taking 12th St. south to Rosie McCaffrey’s Irish Pub to watch Celtic F.C. play. Three hours later, driving back north, 7th St. was still blocked!
Michael Joe Jolls’ 30-year criminal career had finally come to the conclusion it had long deserved: The oldest information I can find is two counts of 1st degree murder, and one of aggravated assault, in 1990, in Yavapai County. Fucking jury could have done the world a favor, but only convicted Jolls of the agg assault. He was only sentenced to 10 years. He only served part of his sentence. Too many “onlys”. Sunnyslope would be safer with fewer onlys.
Over the intervening years, Michael Joe Jolls was charged with multiple aggravated assaults, multiple aggravated DUIs, unlawful flight from law enforcement vehicle, misconduct involving weapons, marijuana posession, dangerous drug posession, criminal damage, vehicle theft, hit & run with death or injury, unlawful imprisonment, and more.
Michael Joe Jolls’ final day began near Grand Canyon University, with a 4:00 a.m. home invasion in the 2900 block of Coolidge St. He stole the homeowner’s vehicle.
At 9:43 a.m., detectives found Jolls at 7th St. and Glendale Avenue, tracking him as he walked a mile to Northern Avenue.
Near the bus stop, Jolls spotted the cops, and pointed a gun at them. So, they provided Jolls’ with a generous assortment of extra holes. Unlike most Sunnyslope stories, a happy homicide. 🤗
