Akeen Burt allegedly murdered Jesse Hernandez in Phoenix on January 9, 2018. Arrested in January 2018 for possession, he was interrogated by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Sentenced to 16 years for manslaughter in 2019, he faced multiple prison offenses and is scheduled for release in November 2031.
In 2026, Mitchell Gaff, 68, pleaded guilty to murdering two underage sisters in 1984 and Susan Vesey in 1980, after DNA from a gum test linked him to the crimes. He had previously served 21 years for a 1984 assault. Released in 2018, he was arrested in 2024 and sentenced to 50 years to life. Authorities continue investigating potential links to other unsolved 1970s-1980s crimes.
In June 2016, Texas Rangers interrogated Ioannis Makris, accused of murdering his wife Laura Grillo. He received life imprisonment without parole for hiring Jesus Trevino and James to commit the crime. In 2019, Trevino was convicted in a capital murder trial and sentenced to life without parole.
In August 2021, Joshua Wirgau, 35, faced murder charges in the deaths of Abby Hill, 31, and Brynn Bills, 17. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to accessory after the fact, disinterment/mutilation, and involuntary manslaughter, avoiding first-degree murder and felony firearm charges. Sentences totaled up to 60 years in prison.
In Hillsborough County, Florida, Tyrone Johnson was convicted in 2021 of murdering Stephanie Willis and her 10-year-old son Ricky in 2018. Prosecutors argued Ricky was hiding under his bed during the attack, with evidence including shell casings, bullet holes, and blood found there. Johnson received a death sentence.
On February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were murdered in Chalk Mountain, Texas. Eddie Ray Routh was convicted of their killings on February 24, 2015. His defense argued insanity, but the jury found him guilty after less than three hours of deliberation, sentencing him to life in prison without parole.
In July 2025, 17-year-old Robert Robinson and Tahj Brewton were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the 2023 triple homicide of Marion County teens Layla Silvernail, Michael Hodo Jr., and Camille Quarles. A 12-year-old, Christopher Atkins, received a 40-year sentence. Judge Robert Hodges called the gang-related executions "absolutely heinous," noting review eligibility after 25 years.
In 2018, 16-year-old Gavon Ramsay was linked to the murder of 98-year-old Margaret Douglas after a series of crimes. He pleaded no contest, later convicted of aggravated murder and other charges in 2019. At 17, he received a life sentence with no parole.
On August 2, 2017, 17-year-old Daylee Newman was fatally shot in her boyfriend's home in Columbus, Ohio. Thomas Gutierrez, 18, was arrested and interrogated. He received a six-year prison sentence in April 2017 despite her mother's plea for leniency.
In November 2021, 66-year-old Spanish teacher Nohema Graber vanished and was found dead in a park near her school. Investigators linked the crime to two students, Jeremy Goodale and Willard Chaiden Miller. Goodale received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 25 years in 2023. Miller’s involvement remains under investigation.
On July 4, 2019, 17-year-old Elijah Al Amin was fatally stabbed outside a Circle K in Phoenix. Paul Michael Adams, 27, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He died in custody in 2021, with the cause listed as natural causes.
Denise Hallowell, 64, was found murdered in her Florida home in July 2019 with an axe. Her 17-year-old son, Carlos Hallowell, was interrogated multiple times, including a second session. He received a life sentence in 2021 for the crime.