A 21-year-old man is now facing murder charges for the fatal shooting of a married couple inside their Peoria home one year ago.
Alexander Lee Smith from Gilbert was taken into custody this week about the fatalities of Walter Mitchell, aged 52, and Susie Ephrem, aged 42.
In the early hours of November 11, 2023, Ephrem contacted emergency services by dialing 911 to report a distressing incident: both she and her husband had been victims of a gunshot attack.
Peoria police arrived at the residence situated near 79th Avenue and Mescal Street, where they discovered the couple with gunshot wounds.
Mitchell was declared dead at the scene, while Ephrem passed away later at the hospital. Fortunately, the third person at the home remained unharmed.
Authorities stated that during the incident, an intruder unlawfully entered the residence. They further clarified that the shooting was not a random occurrence.
On Monday, Peoria police and the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force took Smith into custody, exactly one year after the shootings occurred.
Afterwards, he was taken into custody and subsequently processed at the Maricopa County jail on charges of first-degree murder.
The motive for the crime and how the suspect may have known the victims has not been revealed by Peoria police.
