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A 27-year-old Glendale man was sentenced to three natural life terms in prison for the murders of three people in El Mirage in 2003.
Howard Frances Underwood was sentenced for the Sept. 9, 2003, murders in which officers discovered three naked men with their throats cut at a home in the 11790 block of West Columbine Avenue, according to an El Mirage police probable-cause statement.
Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesman Mike Scerbo said autopsies of the three men showed they died from blunt-force trauma and sharp-force injuries. An investigation led police to Underwood, who was extradited to Arizona from Philadelphia.
Scerbo said search warrants served on two properties belonging to the defendant turned up evidence tying him to the murders. Evidence included:
• A witness who identified Underwood in a photo line-up just a block from where the bodies were found.
• A palm print on the victim's vehicle, which investigators identified as Underwood's.
• A witness who said Underwood sold him a gun for $200 just days after the murders occurred. The gun belonged to one of the victims.
Underwood initially denied his role in the murders, but said he was at the residence a week earlier when a drug deal was negotiated with two of the older victims, prosecutors said. On July 21, he pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of robbery.
If you live in El Mirage you may often hear gun shots in the night, some are followed by screams. This is traumatizing for children and not a good thing.
Here is another. It just goes on and on. Don't be in denial.
EL MIRAGE, AZ -- A man who was wanted for the murder of his wife earlier this week was found hanged from a West Valley overpass Friday morning.
According to Doug Matteson with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, the body of Manuel Julio Alcantar was spotted by a commuter hanging from a rope at about 8:30 a.m. under a roadway underpass at Grand Avenue and Thunderbird Road.
Wrong side of the tracks, El Mirage Arizona a sweet warm summer day the sky was filled with orange gold. more precious than any gold chain more loved to every cholo than the beer that warms in there palms. Even though it was possibly the most beautiful day I had ever seen it was also the darkest/worst. It was July 14 2006 when this beautiful day was crushed by hate and pain, it was about 5:30 the sun was setting I was just hanging out at my auntys house in the backyard, it was my uncles birthday I was holding my niece in my lap she soon fell asleep so I had a chunky little butterball snoring and slobbering on my new dickies out-fit. So I went in side to help my auntie wash the dishes and clean so I put the baby to sleep, as soon as I put the babby down I heard the phone ring I thought to my self "Damn"... I was drunk so I knew I wasn't gana make much sense to whom ever was calling. It was my cousin Pepe he was screaming and crying. I had never heard him cry before, he was allways the kind of person that everyone knew as the tought guy, he was the guy that you see in a crowd of people chanting fight fight fight that steps up to the plate never to back down so when I heard him like this I was some what trying to sober-up he was screaming they stabbed him they stabbed him!!!, I was yelling who!? who!?! he said they stabbed my baby boy!!! my little eight year old nefu was stabbed. My heart was beating so hard, my aunt was behind me asking in a frail voice what's wrong!?! what's wrong?!?! the tears seemed to find there way outta my eye's and my feet acted as if they had a mind of there own and I ran out the door not noticing that the screen door wasn't opend I broke threw it and I ran out of the yard I rememeber see'ing the white pickit fence vanish from the cornour of my eye. As I ran faster and faster I seen the street lights glow dimly in the darkness it seemed as if they were miles away I was crying and running blaming my self for this because I was supposed to watch my nefu today for my cousin. he was suppose to go to a dance and I was suppose to watch the my little nefu but I was selfish and diceded to go to my uncles party. Then all the sudden I snapped back to reality and noticed that I was passed the dim glowing lights and I was to the train tracks I had only about four more blocks to run to and I'd be at my cousins house as I came close to the last block I could see the red and blue lights as they filled the street courner I seen my cousin Pepe crying and refusing to let go of my nefu he was crying so hard into the little chest of my nefu as he clinged to him as if he was apart of him. I didn't understand at first why he wouldn't let the paramedics take him he needed help I could see the blood that was almost dryed that crept down from my little nefu's belly to his little leggs then it came to me I was tottaly blanking out what Pepe was repeating in a weeping voice.. He's dead, He's dead, my baby boy is dead, why me he screamed why!?! why my baby?!? all the nieghbor's were watching from there houses they were all crying out prayers in spanish and holding there crosses that hung from there necks tightly in there hands I ran to Pepe and wrapped my arms around his head and I felt I had to pray but the only prayer I knew by heart was the gangsta's prayer so I began to pray Pepe finnaly let go of he's baby's body was clinging to me and the paramedics took my little nefu's lifeless body and sat him in the black bag of endless depths and Pepe was screaming at me please tell me this isnt real please tell me!!! please give me my baby-boy back!! as his voice crackled and the tears ran past the number 13 tattoo he had tattooed next to his eye, I was telling him in spanish that I was so so very sorry as the tears ran down my face and smashed on floor. Hours passed sense we were sitting in the street mourning the cops and the paramedics were all gone and all the nieghbors came and gave there respects to Pepe he was inraged with nothing but pain he stood up and kicked over the garbage can and stormed to the back of the house I allready knew what was about to happen he went into the shed and got his colt 45 and held it to his head and he was crying and swearing at god and I was yelling at him with my hands out please Pepe dont this isnt the way this isnt the way I shouted. He asked me why!? why not!? they killed every thing to me they practicly ripped my heart out and left in on the floor for me to look at... I stood acouple feel from Pepe as I heard and saw the shot... it was all over I lost my baby nefu and my idle/cousin at the same time, I was screaming and shaking Pepe, Now my family has a deep woud that can never heal. So that's the True story of El Mirage murder of a innocent child and the pain that drove his father to suicide.
This is getting BORING! Yet another it goes on and on.
SURPRISE -- Surprise Police Detectives have arrested two more subjects in connection with the murder of Elizabeth Coy, age 38. Police have arrested 22 year old Donnie Ornelas, of Surprise AZ, and 17 year old, Vanessa Baird, of El Mirage AZ, Coy's body was found in a dumpster in Surprise on March 12, 2008.
On March 21, 2008, police arrested Dean Robert Warren, of El Mirage for Coy's murder. On Wednesday, April 2, 2008, Surprise Police Detectives arrested 43 year old Diana Gonzales-Baird, of El Mirage AZ, for her part in the murder of Coy. As a result of the investigation, it was discovered that Coy had been murdered at a residence shared by Warren, Gonzales-Baird, and Baird’s daughter Vanessa, at the 12700 block of West Boca Raton, El Mirage AZ.
A lot of these don't even show up in the crime stats. I counted all the murders in 2002 and 03 and they dont even match the stats reported.
A 27-year-old Glendale man was sentenced to three natural life terms in prison for the murders of three people in El Mirage in 2003.
Howard Frances Underwood was sentenced for the Sept. 9, 2003, murders in which officers discovered three naked men with their throats cut at a home in the 11790 block of West Columbine Avenue, according to an El Mirage police probable-cause statement.
Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesman Mike Scerbo said autopsies of the three men showed they died from blunt-force trauma and sharp-force injuries. An investigation led police to Underwood, who was extradited to Arizona from Philadelphia.
Scerbo said search warrants served on two properties belonging to the defendant turned up evidence tying him to the murders. Evidence included:
• A witness who identified Underwood in a photo line-up just a block from where the bodies were found.
• A palm print on the victim's vehicle, which investigators identified as Underwood's.
• A witness who said Underwood sold him a gun for $200 just days after the murders occurred. The gun belonged to one of the victims.
Underwood initially denied his role in the murders, but said he was at the residence a week earlier when a drug deal was negotiated with two of the older victims, prosecutors said. On July 21, he pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of robbery.
If you live in El Mirage you may often hear gun shots in the night, some are followed by screams. This is traumatizing for children and not a good thing.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FINDING THIS! I remember this! I lived down Larkspur when this happened. I was a senior in High School. I tried to tell this story on here already once to a lady who was bad mouthing people who were bad mouthing El Mirage.
jd433 resident of Houston what is it with you and your obsession with bashing the Valley?
Do you deeply regret moving to Houston and are apparently trapped there is that it?
Is your constant Phoenix bashing cognitive dissonance so you can feel better while stuck in Houston?
If you’re going invest the effort surely it would be better spent over in the Houston forum.
my my so much hate going on... did anyone think maybe if you take the time to know people you would under stand them better.. i lived in oregon on a quiet middle class street my next door neighbor was from mexico and half of the block did not even say hi to him when he walked his children to the park... one week it snowed hard and i was just back from the hospital and being a single father of two i had to struggle to get to the store to buy some food for us .. As i went outside i notice my neighbor had on his own installed tire chains on MY car so i would be able to move around better after my operation... i never asked him later when i ran into him i said thank you for the help and he said that is what neighbors are for.... now my other neighbors two school teachers with one spoiled son across the street would call the police every week on one of us for noise or parking crooked , or our children were riding their bikes without helmets so dont judge a person based on color but on action
A lot of what we know about El Mirgae is in the past. El Mirage had a very corrupt city government and police force for years. Most of that has changed. The new police chief and his second in command are retired Phoenix cops and have done a great job of cleaning up the town. The city government has improved as well. The have been feuding with some of the neighbor communities, but it is mostly wrangling for ways to get more tax money.
There are very few communities where you can purchase a home (mostly newer homes at that) for the prices of homes in El Mirage. Your other options in this price range are inner city (same problems as El Mirage), or far west Buckeye or far east Queen Creek (horrendous commutes).
No easy answer but everyone cannot live on the side of Camelback Mountain.
Last edited by AZJoeD; 01-04-2010 at 09:31 AM..
Reason: spelling
Finally, some positive comments regarding El Mirage. I am in the middle of contract signing to purchase a home North of Cactus and East of El Mirage
The horror stories were starting to spook me out[SIZE=2][font=Helv]Any input on that area
We lived in El Mirage from 2006-2008 and never had any issues with crime. There is definitely a bad part of El Mirage that we tried to avoid. We were North of Cactus and East of El Mirage Rd. We didn't hear gun shots at night or people screaming. Our neighborhood didn't have graffiti or break ins. Our friends (and their two young boys) still live in El Mirage (They are South of Cactus and West of El Mirage Rd) and their neighborhood is very friendly. Most of the people on the street know each other and have BBQ's.. And they haven't had any issues with crime either.
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Here is another. It just goes on and on. Don't be in denial.
