Phoenix man receives consecutive life sentences for murder of 2 in Mesa
Posted 5/9/24
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell recently announced the sentencing of 55-year-old Aaron Aldric Thomas to two consecutive natural life sentences for the murder of two people in Mesa.
…
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
Sentenced
Phoenix man receives consecutive life sentences for murder of 2 in Mesa
Metro Creative Connection
On Dec. 14, 2023, Thomas was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, a class one dangerous felony; two counts of armed robbery, a class two dangerous felony; and one count of burglary in the first-degree, a class two dangerous felony.
Posted
A Phoenix man was sentenced to two consecutive natural life sentences for the murder of two people in Mesa earlier in May.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell recently announced the sentencing of 55-year-old Aaron Aldric Thomas for the murders.
“In two minutes, this man killed two people in such a cold-blooded, calculated way, making prison for the rest of his life the right place for him to be,” Mitchell said in a release.
Before meeting his victims on Jan. 28, 2022, Thomas planned their murder. He acquired a gun, gloves, and a mask and arranged to buy drugs from the victim at his residence, the release states.
As soon as the victim opened the door and turned his back to him, Thomas, without saying a word, raised a handgun and began shooting the victim in the back, according to the release
As Thomas was about to leave with stolen drugs, a second victim started screaming, begging for her life. Once again, without hesitation, he shot her multiple times before shooting the first victim again at point-blank range, the release states.
During an investigation, police obtained DNA from a retaining wall the defendant had touched while fleeing the home. Police also found video footage from inside the home, the driveway, nearby residences and businesses that placed the defendant at the scene of the crime.
Police tracked the defendant to his home in Laveen, where he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was a prohibited possessor of firearms from prior felonies.
“I commend Homicide Bureau Chief Jon Eliason and Deputy County Attorney John Hudson for their work on this complicated case,” Mitchell said in the release.
Thomas was found guilty on Dec. 14, 2023, of two counts of first-degree murder, a class one dangerous felony; two counts of armed robbery, a class two dangerous felony; and one count of burglary in the first-degree, a class two dangerous felony.
Thomas was sentenced on May 3 and received a natural life sentence for each count of first-degree murder and 21 years for each of the remaining charges.
