Goodyear Man, 92, Arrested After Wife Found Dead With Signs of Trauma

A 92-year-old Goodyear man is facing homicide charges after his wife was found dead with signs of trauma inside their home near Indian School Road and the Loop 303 on Monday afternoon. Police say the couple's adult son had traveled from out of state to check on his father, who had reportedly been showing signs and symptoms of dementia, when he discovered his mother's body.

Goodyear police officers arrived just before 1:30 p.m. on August 24 to a home near Clubhouse Drive and Indian School Road, according to KTAR News. The son had reported finding a dead person inside the home, per Goodyear police, and officers pronounced the woman dead at the scene. As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, the son found his mother dead in the bed of the home's primary bedroom.

Police say the woman had signs of trauma, though her exact fatal injuries have not been released, and the events leading to her death remain unknown to the public. The 92-year-old husband was taken to a nearby hospital for medical clearance before being arrested. Goodyear police plan to book him into Maricopa County Jail on homicide charges once that clearance is complete, and his identity will be released once he is booked, per the department.

A Familiar Corridor for Goodyear Police

The investigation remains ongoing, and Fox 10 Phoenix's report notes that the case marks the second fatal incident police have investigated along the same stretch of Indian School Road in recent days. On August 15, Goodyear police responded to a deadly shooting at a house party near 99th Avenue and Indian School Road, an incident Hoodline previously covered, according to 12News.

Dementia Symptoms Could Shape the Case

The son's account of his father showing signs of dementia introduces a legal wrinkle that could shape how the case unfolds in court. Under Rule 11 of the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, judges can order an independent mental competency examination to determine whether a defendant's psychological condition, including severe dementia, prevents him from understanding proceedings or assisting his own defense, according to Maricopa County. Defendants found incompetent can be placed into a restoration program or have their case paused entirely.

It is not yet clear what specific homicide charge prosecutors will pursue. Arizona's first-degree murder statute, ARS § 13-1105, applies to intentional or knowing killings committed with premeditation and carries penalties of life imprisonment or death, while second-degree murder under ARS § 13-1104 covers intentional killings without premeditation and carries a mandatory 10 to 25 years in prison, served day-for-day, according to Shouse Law Group. Separately, Arizona law under ARS § 13-3623 also criminalizes intentionally or recklessly harming a vulnerable adult, defined as someone unable to protect themselves due to mental or physical impairment, per Litwak Law Group.

A Pattern Seen Before in Goodyear

This is not the first time Goodyear police have investigated a homicide involving an elderly spouse. In July 2024, officers arrested a 67-year-old man on first-degree murder charges after he shot his wife at their home, telling investigators he did so to end her pain and suffering, according to The Independent. That suspect turned himself in after mulling the act for weeks, the outlet reported.

Cases like these underscore a broader strain facing Arizona families caring for aging relatives with cognitive decline. An estimated 151,500 Arizonans aged 65 and older, including more than 81,000 in Maricopa County alone, were living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, according to the 2025 Arizona Alzheimer's State Plan compiled by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The same report estimates roughly 240,000 family caregivers across the state provide unpaid care for relatives with dementia, with nearly 60 percent of those caregivers experiencing chronic health conditions of their own.

Goodyear police have not released the names of the husband or wife, and say the suspect's identity will be made public once he is booked into Maricopa County Jail. The investigation remains active, and no additional details about the events leading up to the woman's death have been disclosed.