Justice has a long memory in Phoenix, as two separate homicide cases find recent closure. Phoenix Police announced the arrest of the last suspect wanted in connection to the October shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, Trey Bomelyn. The final arrest followed the detainment of three other suspects, all minors, earlier in November. FOX 10 Phoenix reports that on Nov. 20, 20-year-old Charles Stokes Jr. was booked into jail, ending a search that began with the tragedy near South 31st Street.
In an unrelated case, a haunting reminder of the past resurfaced when 39-year-old Sergio Francisco Reyes received a 20-year sentence for the 2004 murder of 15-year-old Elena Lasswell. Reyes was arrested last July after being extradited from Mexico and charged with first-degree murder, sexual assault, and kidnapping before striking a plea deal. "This case highlights the tireless efforts of Phoenix Police detectives and MCAO prosecutors who never gave up in the pursuit of justice for Elena and her family," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated, as reported by AZ Family.
Detectives utilized advances in DNA profiling in 2012 to reconnect the pieces of Lasswell's case, which had gone cold. Familial DNA tagged Reyes as the suspect in 2013, and despite the challenges, law enforcement secured his extradition over a decade later. The commitment displayed by officials ensured that, although delayed, accountability was not denied. As Maricopa County Attorney Mitchell asserted, in Maricopa County, "the truth will catch up to you and so will law enforcement," as stated by AZFamily.
