A man who committed suicide on Monday evening after being tracked down by police officers is suspected of killing six people linked to his contentious divorce.
Investigators established that Arizonian Dwight Jones, 56, had a link to his victims as a result of divorce proceedings almost a decade ago.
The first murder, committed on Thursday afternoon, saw a prominent psychiatrist and legal expert named Steven Pitt shot in front of his Phoenix office.
Pitt, a world-renowned forensic psychiatrist, had been charged with carrying out a psychological evaluation of Jones, Scottsdale police chief Richard Slavin told a press conference Monday.
The doctor had also worked on a number of high-profile cases, including the murder of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey in 1996, and the Columbine school shooting in 1999.
On Friday, police were called to a law office where two employees in their 50s — Valeria Sharp and Laura Anderson — had been shot dead.
They found the same gun had been used in all three killings.
Dwight’s ex-wife had been represented by one of the firm’s lawyers, who was not in the office that day.
The following night, marriage counsellor Marshall Levine’s body was discovered. Authorities established that Jones’ son had seen a specialist who shared Levine’s office for a consultation.
By combining DNA analysis, field investigations and shooting expertise, police then identified Jones, 56, as the prime suspect.
“He had a divorce situation back in 2009 and 2010. And during all of that time he was related to all the victims in some way,” Slavin said.
That kickstarted a huge manhunt involving forces across the region — with officers locating Jones at a hotel close to Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, on Monday evening.
After opening fire on officers — causing no injuries — Jones turned the gun on himself.
Police added that during initial surveillance, Jones was seen dumping a handgun stolen from a resident of Fountain Hills.
That resident was later found dead at his home in the Phoenix suburb alongside a woman, bringing Jones’ total suspected killings to six.
AFP
