After a deadly altercation at a Phoenix car wash turned fatal last December, police have finally cuffed the suspect, revealing the ongoing investigation's latest break in a months-long case of bloodshed and loss. According to Arizona's Family, 30-year-old William Murray was arrested this week, charged with second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Brandon Smith.
The incident, which occurred early in the morning on December 16, unfolded at the Clean Freak Car Wash near 44th Street and McDowell Road, as police discovered Smith critically injured and promptly transported him to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries, now, months after the shooting police have zeroed in on Murray, the business employee initially detained at the scene. Murray's relationship to the car wash or neighboring businesses remains unspecified by investigators.
On the day of the shooting, detectives were unclear about the circumstances leading up to the violent encounter, with details shrouded in the chaos of a fight turned deadly. Arizona's Family earlier reported that detectives were probing the cause of the clash between Smith and the then-unknown employee, but as initially no arrests came forth, the case appeared to stall, leaving family and community in anguish over an abrupt and grievous end.
Murray is now awaiting his day in court as the wheels of justice slowly turn; meanwhile, a family clings to memories while counting the days between that ill-fated encounter and a chance for closure. More details on the case and surrounding events will likely emerge as the legal process unfolds.
