Feature Story Phoenix Magazine

This should be one of the Valley’s most important cold cases, but it’s not. It’s not even on the list anymore. Because someone’s in prison, Phoenix PD considers the case solved. A fresh look by PHOENIX magazine, however, shows that it’s anything but closed. Among other things, we’ve uncovered evidence [...]

ON MARCH 24, JURORS IN A FEDERAL COURT AWARDED $9 MILLION TO THE FAMILY OF CHARLES AGSTER. LIKE SCOTT NORBERG AND OTHERS, AGSTER DIED WHILE IN THE CUSTODY OF SHERIFF JOE. BUT HE WASN’T A HARDENED CRIMINAL. IN FACT, AGSTER WAS MENTALLY DISABLED. WHAT’S WORSE, THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT TRIED TO [...]

There was no clue about who the man was, what kind of gun he had, how many guns he had, how many hostages he held, where he was holding them, what he wanted or what would make him give up. Within seven hours, though, George Curran was in custody, and [...]

The Grand Canyon State has had its share of local scandals – AzScam, Keating, etc. – but it’s also linked to some of the most notorious news stories in U.S. history, including Watergate, Tonya Harding and the terrorist attacks on September 11. […]

In June, we told the story of Loretta Bowersock, a well known woman who mysteriously disappeared in December 2004, presumably at the hands of her longtime boyfriend. Thirteen months later, her body was found, and, as it turns out, the psychics were right – she was buried by something blue. [...]

People get murdered all the time. Some cases get solved, and others go cold. It’s the cold cases that consume Sergeant Jack Millward and his squad of Phoenix PD detectives. Although most of the cases will never get cracked, time, technology and tenacity are increasing the odds. […]

Although the hurricanes and tsunamis aren’t likely in this neck of the woods, several Katrina-like catastrophes are conceivable, which is why local officials are working on ways to evacuate the Valley should disaster strike. […]

Although no one knows for sure, climatologists at ASU and UA warn that Arizona could be in a world of hurt if the temperatures continue to climb. What’s more, the worst effects aren’t thousands of years away – they’re already on the horizon. […]

Men rape women all the time. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most heinous crimes in society, which is why rapists are sent to prison for a long time. That is, unless the rapist is the husband of the victim – when it comes to “spousal rape,” the penalties [...]

No. It’s not another spin-off of the popular CBS series. This is a story about real cops doing real work in the real world. As you’ll see, it isn’t as glamorous as it is on TV, but the men and women of Phoenix PD’s crime scene unit take pride in [...]