On December 26th, a 16 year old male showed up at a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office sub-station and reported that he wanted to turn himself in for “killing a man.” The teen said that on or about November 28th, 2022 in a remote area of Camp Verde, he shot the 62 year old victim, leaving the deceased in the wilderness.
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) detectives were called out to interview the teen, who later took the detectives to a remote area in the desert off Salt Mine Road, where they found the dead man.
The teen said that he had contacted the man, who was known to the teen’s family, after finding out the man was trying to “get with his 14-yr old sister.” The teen wanted to confront the man about those intentions, so he asked the man to pick him up in Camp Verde under the guise of a hunting trip. The two then drove out to Salt Mine Road where the teen confronted the man, subsequently shooting and killing him.
The teen stated that he took all the guns from the man’s car before abandoning it and while walking home ditched one of the guns in the desert, which has been retrieved by YCSO. He then took the remaining guns to his home.
On Christmas Day a family member went into teen’s bedroom and found a gun. When confronted, the teen admitted to his family that he killed the man, and subsequently turned himself in to deputies the following day, where he was taken into custody.
The name of the man is not yet being released pending positive identification by next of kin.