Arizona

Killer Dads: Fathers who ended their children's lives in situations involving child custody, visitation, and/or child support

ARIZONA

Cococino County

*Father: RYAN PETERS
Victim(s): Teigan Peters (aka Teigan Brown) (3 years)
Date of Death: June 2009
Daughter killed in murder-suicide during court-ordered visitation . Mother had applied for orders of protection.

Gila County

*Father: GASOA BALAS
Victim(s): Calandra Balas (7 years)
Date of Death: August 2012
Father had custody of his daughter despite repeated reports of neglect and abuse at the time of her death. A year before her death, police charged him with domestic violence after he brutally beat his girlfriend after she objected to the way he was disciplining Calandra. Gasoa pinned the woman down, cut off her hair with scissors and stuffed the hair into her mouth. Despite the assault, the little girl remained in his custody. Girl killed in car accident during police chase after father assaulted girlfriend. In September 2013, father convicted of aggravate assault. Father slated to go on trial for "unrelated" murder charges in December 2013.

Maricopa County

Father: ALLEN CHAMBERS
Victim(s): Mindi Chambers (17 years)
Date of Death: Assumed to have been murdered around the time she went missing in 1982.
Custodial father ALLEN CHAMBERS (now deceased) is now presumed to have murdered Mindi Chambers around the time she went missing. Daughter had reported sexual abuse to the authorities. Not reported as officially missing till 1995.

Father: JEFFREY DUCHANE
Victim(s): Trenay Duchane (12 years)
Date of Death: November 2008
Custodial father and stepmother convicted of murder.

Father: RAUL MOLINA GONZALEZ
Victim(s): Anthony Gonzalez (11 years)
Date of Death: Summer 2005
Father convicted of murdering son during summer visitation.

*Father: NUSHAWN CAMPBELL
Victim(s): Unnamed son (5 years)
Date of Death: June 2009
Father with sole custody stabbed son to death in failed murder-suicide. Mother had been trying to regain custody. In October 2010, father pleaded guilty to 1st-degree murder.

Father: ALLEJANDRO GALLARDO
Victim(s): Unidentified daughters (6 years) (8 years)
Date of Death: January 2014
Father killed daughters in murder-suicide after breaking up with girls' mother. Had threatened suicide before, but was still allowed access.

Father: ANDRE LETEVE
Victim(s): Alec Leteve (5 years), Asher Leteve (1 year)
Date of Death: March 2010
Parents in process of getting divorce, but had agreed to joint custody. Sons shot to death in failed murder-suicide. Father apparently "feared" mother would attempt a moveaway. Father on trial for capital murder in May 2012, and has pleaded not guilty despite earlier confession in 911 call. As of November 2012, father had been found guilty. Death penalty handed down in December 2012.

Father: JEFFREY MARTINSON
Victim(s): Josh Martinson (4 years)
Date of Death: 2004
Father in "custody dispute" convicted in drugging/drowning death of son. Granted new trial in March 2012. In November 2013, freed from prison because of alleged prosecution misconduct.

Father: GARY SHERRILL
Victim(s): David Sherrill (13 years)
Date of Death: December 31, 2013
Father with obvious mental illness still awarded joint legal custody. Killed son with axe during visitation as he was allegedly convinced boy was a demon. Neighbor's past complaints to CPS ignored. Charged with murder in January 2014, held on $1 million bond.

Father: SERGIO THOMAS
Victim(s): 7-month-old daughter
Date of Death: December 2010
Father arrested for death of 7-month-old daughter. Parents had “verbal custody agreement” to share children on weekly basis. Dad had history of domestic violence arrests. Father sentenced to 36 years in prison in August 2013.

Pima County

*Father: CHRISTOPHER PAINE
Victim(s): Ariana Paine (3 years), Tyler Paine (4 years)
Date of Death: 2006
Mother originally got custody in 2003. In January 2006, father asked for informal visitation, which the mother granted. In March, the father refused to return the children. The mother contacted the Tucson police regarding her custody order, and they refused to retrieve the children. Within months the children are dead (exact date unknown, only one body was found). Mother sued City of Tucson CPS, and they settled for $1 million in June 2008. In October 2010, Judge Carmine Cornello dismissed mother’s suit against the police.

Father: LEVI PARKER
Victim(s): MacKenzie Lee Parker (8 years), Haylee Parker (5 years)
Date of Death: December 2015
Father in "custody battle" killed children in murder-suicide during visitation.

Rim County

*Father: GASOA BALAS
Victim(s): Calandra Balas (7 years)
Date of Death: August 2012
Father had custody of his daughter despite repeated reports of neglect and abuse at the time of her death. A year before her death, police charged him with domestic violence after he brutally beat his girlfriend after she objected to the way he was disciplining Calandra. Gasoa pinned the woman down, cut off her hair with scissors and stuffed the hair into her mouth. Despite the assault, the little girl remained in his custody since no charges were filed. Girl killed in car accident during police chase after father assaulted girlfriend. After girl’s death, Deputy County Attorney reviewed decision made a year earlier by former prosecutor’s office, fand iled charges for the assault. A jury convicted Balas in that assault and he later pleaded guilty to charges arising from the death of his daughter.