Last year, two Kingman residents were murdered in their home. The case may be related to multiple murder suspect Hunter McGuire. Now, the Mojave County Sheriff’s Office says inmates at the Maricopa County Jail may be directly involved in the case.
Last year, investigators sought McGuire for alleged involvement in as many as five shootings across Mojave County and Las Vegas. The first of these killings occurred last June when Darren Van Houten, 50, and Letta Atkins, 73, were shot by an intruder in their residence. , known to many as the “Gold Lady”.
However, although evidence was later found linking McGuire to the incident, sheriff’s officers found no evidence that McGuire was directly responsible for their deaths. Investigators tried to identify him because he was seen wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt.
Earlier this month, investigators were said to have identified the suspect as Daniel M. Avila, 25, of El Mirage. Avila was arrested on suspicion of burglary in Tempe in February. In that case, investigators reportedly found a gun in Avila’s possession. According to the Mojave County Sheriff’s Office, National Integrated Ballistics Network data linked the weapon to the killings of Van Houten and Atkins.
When Avila was arrested in Tempe last month, he was wearing nearly the same clothes worn by the suspect in the Van Houten and Atkins murders. The suspect in the incident appeared to have blood running down his left shoulder from a gunshot wound he may have sustained during the incident. I saw.
A Mojave High Court judge last week approved Avila’s arrest warrant on two counts of first-degree murder. As of Monday, Avila remained in custody at the Maricopa County Jail where he was held on $100,000 bail. He is indicted on his six counts of first-degree robbery.
Anita Mortensen, a public relations specialist for the Mojave County Sheriff’s Office, said Monday that Avila’s extradition to Mojave County may not happen immediately.
“The charges against him in Maricopa County are extensive,” Mortensen said. “Once we’re done with him, it’s our turn.”
Investigation into this incident is still ongoing. Avila was thought to have nothing to do with the Kingman area or Van Houten and Atkins. If you have information about Avila, please contact the Mojave County Sheriff’s Office at 928-753-0753.
