Before we look a some older Sunnyslope homicides, we had five — that I am aware of — in 2024:
- Feb. 19: Tiana Hodges shot a man to death at Erin Place Aptartments. (7th St. & Vogel Ave.)
- Mar. 18: Robert Roach shot William Broomfield. (13th Pl. & Cinnabar Ave.)
- Apr. 7: Adolfo Villalva shot Earlric Reynolds. (7th Ave. & Mountain View Rd.)
- Jul. 15: John Sleeth shot to death. (3rd St. & Townley Ave.)
- Jul. 31: Camron Greenwood shot Eugena Smith. (14th St. & Cheryl Dr.)
I actually rolled up on the Erin Place crime scene during one of my bike rides! But no chopping up a crippled homeless dude, then torching his body in a dumpster, so I guess that’s something. 🤷🏻♂️
I stop at QuikTrip a couple of times a week, though usually the one on the south side of Sunnyslope, on 7th St. I remember another QT being on 19th Ave., Sunnyslope’s western edge. A couple of years ago, I was over that way looking for breakfast, and it was gone. I thought it’s presence was a false memory, but no, it was there. Now, it is an Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
QuikTrip seems to be safer than the average stop’n’rob, as they are popular with cops. So, you may be wondering why I am talking about them?
I know of one murder, of Kevin Ore, that occurred around the corner from the 7th St. QT, and two more homicides that occured at the 19th Ave. QuikTrip.
Lutzow-Lindeman Double Homicide (2009)
On February 17, 2009, around 11:00 p.m., the QuikTrip at 10233 N. 19th Ave. was the scene of a double-homicide: Two motorcycle groups, as least one of which was a sober riders’ club, got into a physical altercation. Shots were fired. When the smoke cleared two sober riders, Bradley Lutzow and John Lindeman, were fatally wounded. QT security cameras caught the fight, but not the shooting.
Four days later, Phoenix PD had not made any arrests, nor named any MC as suspects. A 2013 article in John Lindeman’s hometown paper is the most recent info I could find. No idea on the Lutzow-Lindeman case disposition, whether charges were filed, or if it was ruled self-defense. Google is a black hole. And the homicide is not listed on Phoenix Silent Witness as a cold case.
Robert Krumlauf Negligent Homicide (2016)
Around 10:30 p.m., on October 20, 2016, road rage between pickup and Lincoln drivers escalated into two men fighting in the parking lot of the Circle K that used to be at 11th Ave. and Hatcher Rd. During the fisticuffs, Robert Krumlauf “pistol whipped” the other man with a toy gun. I’ve read “pellet gun”, which fires a tiny metallic round, which is highly unlikely to kill, and “Airsoft”, which fires fat plastic BBs and stings at worst. These are gun-ignorant journalists we’re talking about, so who knows?
Jenna Lalaine Keller drove her boyfriend’s Lincoln into the two men. Both men were critically injured. Keller then exited the Lincoln, and began punching Krumlauf, who later succumbed to his wounds. Keller was arrested, and charged with 2nd degree murder (a class 1 felony), aggravated assault and DUI.
A fourth party was detained for taking the toy gun and leaving the scene. It is unknown if that person was charged for tampering with evidence, or excused for securing what was thought to be a “dangerous weapon”.
Keller’s lawyer must have convinced the jury her foot slipped on the brake, and the beating never occured, as Keller was only convicted of negligent homicide (a class 4 felony). Keller, who previously did state time for theft, was sentenced to 3½ years.
Dejahnique Jackson Negligent Homicide (2021)
Around 1:30 p.m., on April 21, 2021, Amelleonna Russell was drinking and doing drugs with Dejahnique Jackson, and two men, in an apartment near 15th Ave. & Mercer Ln. A gun fell out of someone’s pocket. Ms. Russell picked up the gun, “before someone could sit on it”.
The gun fired, hitting a man in the hand and striking Ms. Jackson in the chest. The wounded man disappeared with the gun. A professional caregiver, Ms. Russell stayed at the scene, calling 911, and rendering first aid. An aspiring rapper, Ms. Jackson was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:00 p.m.
Guns don’t magically go boom. (Unless you are Alec Baldwin.) Most likely, the safety was off, though Ms. Russell might have accidentally switched the safety off. Ms. Russell then tragically violated three of the four gun safety rules:
- She put her finger inside the trigger guard, rather than along the slide. (~85% of hand guns sold are semiauto pistols, rather than revolvers.)
- She failed to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
- She failed to clear the weapon, ensuring it was unloaded.
The wounded man was found, but the gun was not. I could find no information indicating if he was a felon in possession of a weapon, if the gun was stolen property, or if the gun was ballistically linked to other crimes.
Amelleonna Russell was arrested for manslaughter. On August 19, 2022, Ms. Russell plead guilty to negligent homicide, and was sentenced to probation and restitution.
Home invasion homicide (2019)
Around 1:00 a.m., on March 30, 2019, two men tried breaking into a home near 17th Ave. and Brown St. A resident fired his gun, hitting both perps, fatally wounding one of them. I’ve tried searching for the names and criminal histories of the perps, or if the survivor was even prosecuted. I spend a lot of time researching my Sunnyslope Murder Tours, so I suspect the problem isn’t my poor searches but rather complete lack of follow-up by the Arizona Repugnant and the “bubble-headed bleach blondes” of Eyewitness News. Anyway, it was a Happy Homicide!
