According to authorities, three persons were taken into custody this week in relation to the death of a good Samaritan in Arizona last month.
Two of the three individuals detained on Monday were identified by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department as Elmer Smith, 19, and Jack Upchurch, 40. The third individual is sixteen years old. Minors accused of crimes are usually not identified by NBC News.
In relation to the death of Paul Clifford, 53, whose body was discovered last month northeast of Tucson next to a smoking automobile, the three were taken into custody.
In connection with Clifford’s death, sheriff’s department spokesperson Angelica Carrillo announced Friday that all three suspects have been charged with first degree murder, aggravated robbery, armed robbery, arson of an occupied structure, and theft of means of transportation.
In an online fundraiser, Sabrina Vining, claiming to be Clifford’s daughter, claimed that her father vanished after leaving his home at 11:30 p.m. on December 23 to assist a stranger with a stranded car.
According to Tucson’s NBC affiliate KVOA, Clifford’s family reported him missing after a stranger knocked on his house and requested assistance with his automobile.
According to the sheriff’s department, he was later discovered deceased. It gave neither the cause nor the method of death.
Authorities reported that on Monday, they learned of a potential hiding place for the three suspects.
After conducting an area search, detectives were able to secure a search warrant for a property, which the Pima Regional SWAT team executed.
According to the sheriff’s department, the suspects locked themselves inside a house before phoning 911 to discuss a surrender. They were arrested after leaving the house.
No motive or evidence linking the suspects to Clifford’s murder was disclosed by the sheriff’s office.
According to police, the three suspects were arrested on felony arrest warrants and checked into the Pima County Adult Detention Center.
Requests for comment from NBC News on Friday night were not immediately answered by the three suspects’ attorneys.
According to jail records, Upchurch was being held on a $1 million bond, Smith on a $1.025 million bail, and the youngster on a half-million dollar bond.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Vining praised the arrests.
At 9:00 p.m. last night, the detective called to inform us that they had apprehended and detained certain individuals. Vining wrote. I want to express my gratitude to the police officers that worked hard on my dad’s case.
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