Husband of late Arizona prosecutor dead in suspected murder-suicide

The husband of a late Arizona county prosecutor is suspected of killing a woman he was in a relationship with and her mother before taking his life in Phoenix on Christmas Eve, according to local police.

David DeNitto, the widower of former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, allegedly killed Maryalice Cash, 47, and 83-year-old Cynthia Domini following an altercation at a holiday gathering on Christmas Eve, Phoenix police said.

DeNitto, 47, was found dead in the home from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, Phoenix police said.

The events leading up to the apparent murder-suicide are under investigation, authorities added.

The incident comes less than two years after Adel, DeNitto’s late wife, died in April 2022 of unspecified health complications at the age of 45.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Adel’s successor, said in a statement, “It is impossible to comprehend a tragedy such as this. Words cannot adequately express the flood of sorrow.”

“I ask the community to join me in praying for the families affected and, most especially, Allister’s children. I also ask that the community surround the families with love, kindness, and a respect for the need for privacy,” Mitchell continued.

Adel was the first woman to be elected as Maricopa County’s attorney and was appointed in October 2019 before being elected to the office in November 2020.

She resigned in March 2022 amid criticism over her performance, including over the dismissal of 180 misdemeanor cases due to charges not being filed before the expiration of the statute of limitations, The Associated Press reported.

The AP reported Adel underwent emergency surgery for a brain bleed on election night and returned to work by the following spring. She later went to rehab last year for alcohol abuse, an eating disorder and other issues and later began working remotely from an out-of-state treatment facility, according to the news wire.

Adel’s ability to perform the job came under questioning after several criminal divisions reports of signs of being inebriated during phone calls, a characterization which she denied, the AP said.

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