A Maricopa County jury returned a verdict finding Jerice Hunter guilty of abusing and murdering her 5 year old daughter, Jhessye Shockley, today.
Hunter was arrested after a nearly yearlong joint investigation by Glendale Police and the FBI in cooperation with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Jhessye Shockley was first reported missing on October 11, 2011. After an initial investigation and an extensive search for the child, police arrested Jerice Hunter on November 21, 2011 on suspicion of child abuse. No formal charges were filed and Hunter was subsequently released. Detectives and forensic investigators continued to work the case, interviewing witnesses and family members and conducting a four-month search of the Butterfield Station Landfill in Mobile.
On September 6, 2012, a Maricopa County Grand Jury delivered an indictment charging Hunter with one count of child abuse and one count of first degree murder.
“The Glendale Police Department released a statement after the verdict was announced, “What started as a call of a missing 5 year old girl over 3 ½ years ago, developed into an exhaustive search and later into a homicide investigation which spanned months. The ensuing three month landfill search for Jhessye’s body involved nearly 300 men and women from Glendale PD, as well as 13 other agencies. Through it all, our goal always remained the same – to obtain justice for Jhessye Shockley.”
“We are pleased with the jury’s decision today as it assures justice does prevail against an individual responsible for the unimaginable crime of murdering a child,” continued the GPD’s statement. “While the verdict provides some sense of satisfaction, it does not diminish the loss suffered by the family who loved Jhessye or lessen the tragedy a community endures when a child is murdered.”