ARIZONA – The husband of a former Arizona prosecutor shot and killed a woman and her mother at a holiday gathering on Sunday before fatally shooting himself, police said.
The Phoenix Police Department identified David DeNitto, 47, the husband of former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, as the man they believe to be responsible for the murder-suicide on Christmas Eve.
Officers were called to the house in northern Phoenix on Sunday at about 11:30 p.m. local time and found two women with gunshot wounds. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead. DeNitto was found dead at the scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Authorities identified the victims as Cynthia Domini, 83, and Maryalice Cash, 47. Cash and DeNitto were in a relationship, according to “early information,” police said, according
Property records show DeNitto and Adel owned a home on the same block where Sunday’s shooting occurred.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Adel’s successor, confirmed the identity of the victims in a Monday news release.
“It is impossible to comprehend a tragedy such as this. Words cannot adequately express the flood of sorrow,” Mitchell said. “I ask the community to join me in praying for the families affected and, most especially, Allister’s children. I also ask that the community surround the families with love, kindness, and a respect for the need for privacy.”