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Thread: Justin James Rector Sentenced in 2014 AZ Murder of 8-Year-Old Isabella Grogan-Cannella

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  1. #1
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    Justin James Rector Sentenced in 2014 AZ Murder of 8-Year-Old Isabella Grogan-Cannella


    8-year-old Isabella “Bella” Grogan-Cannella


    Justin James Rector


    Man arrested in death of missing Arizona girl

    BULLHEAD CITY — Police arrested a 26-year-old man on allegations tied to the disappearance and murder of an 8-year-old Arizona girl hours after serving a search warrant at the girl's home, according to a Bullhead City police spokeswoman.

    Investigators arrested Justin James Rector on first-degree murder and kidnapping counts, police announced Thursday.

    Investigators first learned of Rector's potential role in Isabella's disappearance and murder from her 10-year-old sister, according to court documents.

    The 10-year-old, whose name is redacted throughout the report, told investigators that she and Isabella were at their mother's home playing hide-and-seek with Rector on Monday. The older girl said she went to the restroom at some point and when she came out, Rector and Isabella were gone, according to court records.

    The girls' mother returned home with friends and contacted police early Tuesday morning after she could not find Isabella, according to court documents.

    Investigators began looking for Rector that morning and found him near a highway in Bullhead City at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, according to court records. Police believe Rector stole a pair of shoes and other clothes from the Walmart, and Rector admitted to hiding his old belongings in the store, according to a police report.

    Rector told investigators that he left Isabella's mother's home and went to a friend's house before walking to the Walmart, but Rector's friends told detectives that he never came to the home or tried to get in touch with them, according to court records.

    Police arrested Rector Tuesday evening on suspicion of shoplifting, according to court documents.

    When investigators found Isabella's body in a shallow grave on Wednesday, they also found shoe prints near the crime scene that matched the footwear Rector left at the Walmart, according to court records. The shoes were unique because they had duct tape covering a hole in one of the shoes, investigators said.

    A witness also told detectives that someone matching Rector's description was seen leaving the crime scene before he arrived at the Walmart, according to police reports.

    Rector denied any involvement in Isabella's murder and asked for an attorney as investigators pressed him for details, according to court records.

    Rector was arrested and booked and has a preliminary hearing scheduled at 9 a.m. on Sept. 12.

    Williamson scheduled a news conference early Thursday afternoon to release more details on the case.

    MORE: Body found near home of missing Arizona girl

    About 40,000 people live in Bullhead City, which is on the Arizona-Nevada border some 100 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

    http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...city/15072651/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Arizona girl, 8, was strangled; police investigating possible rape

    By JAMES QUEALLY
    The Los Angeles Times

    An 8-year-old girl who was found in a shallow grave in Arizona after she disappeared from her family's home was strangled, and police are reviewing the possibility that she was sexually assaulted, officials said on Friday.

    The Mohave County medical examiner ruled that Isabella Grogan-Cannella died of asphyxiation caused by strangulation after she disappeared from her family's Bullhead City home with 26-year-old Justin James Rector.

    Isabella's body was found in a shallow grave near her family's home on Wednesday morning, police said. Rector, a family friend who had been staying at the victim's house, was charged with murder and kidnapping in Isabella's death.

    A criminal complaint against Rector has yet to be filed, and the Mohave County attorney's office did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

    Emily Fromelt, public information officer for the Bullhead City Police Department, told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that police are investigating the possibility that Isbaella was sexually assaulted. According to court records, the girl was not wearing pants or underwear when police found her body.

    Bullhead City Police Chief Brian Williamson has said additional arrests or further charges against Rector have not been ruled out. He is expected to appear in court on Sept. 12, according to court records.</aside>

    http://www.latimes.com/nation/nation...905-story.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Formal charges filed against Rector

    By DK McDONALD and JULIE FAIRMAN
    The Mohave Valley Daily News

    BULLHEAD CITY — Formal charges were filed Monday in the death of Isabella Grogan-Cannella, the 8-year-old Bullhead City girl whose body was found in a shallow grave last week.

    The criminal complaint, filed by Deputy County Attorney Gregory McPhillips, charges Justin James Rector, 26, with first degree murder, a class 1 felony, and kidnapping, a class 2 felony. No sexual assault charge was filed.

    According to court documents, Grogan-Cannella disappeared from her home in the 2400 block of Lakeside Drive about 1:30 a.m. Sept. 2. Her body, nude from the waist down, was located about 36 hours later by a Mohave County Search and Rescue tracking team approximately one-half mile from her home.

    The Mohave County medical examiner determined the cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation.

    After learning Rector left the residence about the same time Grogan-Cannella disappeared, Bullhead City Police Officers began searching for Rector and located him on Highway 95 in the area of Walmart about 3:20 a.m. Sept. 2.

    A witness reported seeing a person matching Rector’s description leaving the area of the crime scene shortly before arriving at Walmart.

    Detectives learned that Rector had allegedly shoplifted shoes, underwear and a shirt from Walmart and had hidden his old shoes inside the store and his shirt along the highway. Officers located the hidden shoes and shirt and later matched his shoe prints to prints found at the gravesite. Rector was arrested on Sept. 2 for suspicion of shoplifting and remained in custody while numerous agencies searched for Grogan-Cannella.

    Her body was found Sept. 3.

    Rector is being held at the Mohave County Jail in Kingman and is scheduled to appear in court later this week.

    http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...9bb2963f4.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Community bids goodbye to Isabella: Hundreds gather at memorial

    By JULIE FAIRMAN and DK McDONALD
    The Mohave Valley Daily News

    BULLHEAD CITY — “Bella was a dreamer with a magical imagination,” said Mona Nicholas.

    “She was energetic and full of life. She loved to play with her Barbie and her Barbie castle.

    “She had hopes and dreams of becoming a cheerleader.”

    Nicholas, an ordained minister, spoke those words during Thursday’s memorial service for

    Isabella Grogan-Cannella, whose lifeless body was found not far from her home last Wednesday, about 36 hours after she had been reported missing.

    A Mohave County grand jury indicted Justin James Rector, 26, Thursday afternoon on charges related to the girl’s death.

    Bullhead City Mayor Jack Hakim, William Dunn of Dimond & Sons — who donated their services — and Kaycee Larson, Bella’s teacher at Coyote Canyon Elementary School, also addressed the family and community members. Music was provided by singers Grace Black and Steven Jenkins, and a slideshow of Bella’s life was presented.

    “Bella was an amazing little girl,” said Larson. “She made sure everyone had a friend. No matter what.”

    It didn’t matter that many of the estimated 500 people who gathered at the park Thursday did not know the 8-year-old.

    “We’re here for Bella. Rest in peace, little angel,” said Halley Gibson as her 6-year-old daughter, Shannon Powers-Saucedo, drew a picture that would be attached to a balloon and released at the conclusion of the memorial.

    “Sleep with the angels,” added Cindy Summers, Gibson’s grandmother.

    Tanda Brittain came to the park with her daughters Daisy and Lilly, who painted a sign for Bella that they placed with the dozens of stuffed animals, candles, flowers, cards and messages that surrounded the podium.

    “I’m sad,” said Lilly, who attends Fox Creek Elementary.

    “We’re very sorry for the loss of such an innocent child,” added Brittain.

    Kahleesa Anderson did know Bella. “I miss her,” she said. “She’s in God’s house.”

    “She’s finally at home,” added Krystal Anderson, Kahleesa’s mother. “She’s got everything she needs and we don’t have to worry anymore.”

    Family members surrounded and comforted Tania Grogan and Ralph Folster, Bella’s mother and stepfather, in the first several rows of the park ramada.

    “I have nothing that I can even say,” Grogan said. “I don’t have any words that can express how I feel right now.

    “I still can’t believe the fact that I’m not going to ever see my daughter again, that I’m not going to be able to kiss her before bedtime.

    “I can’t believe she’s gone. It’s unimaginable for me.”

    As the ceremony drew to a close, hundreds of balloons of every color, shape and size were released, carrying messages skyward to Bella.

    “How does one heal?” asked Nicholas.

    “One day at a time. One hour at a time. One moment at a time.

    “And if need be, one breath at a time.”

    http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...e74bc3e33.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Suspect indicted in girl’s death: Rector to be arraigned Sept. 19 as grand jury indicts on four felony counts

    By JIM SECKLER
    The Mohave Valley Daily News

    KINGMAN — A grand jury indicted a Bullhead City man Thursday afternoon on four felony charges for allegedly killing an 8-year-old girl.

    A Mohave County grand jury indicted Justin James Rector, 26, for first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse and abandonment of a dead body. He was arrested Sept. 2 and is being held without bond in county jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 19 at the county jail. The case will be assigned to Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen.

    Depending on which judge his case is assigned to, he will be arraigned on the charges in Superior Court.

    Isabella “Bella” Grogan-Cannella was reported missing from her Lakeside Drive home in the early morning of Sept. 2. Her body was found the next afternoon in a shallow grave in a wash about a half-mile from her home.

    Witnesses reported seeing someone matching Rector’s description leaving the shallow grave. Shoeprints found near the girl’s body allegedly matched Rector’s shoes, one of which had been taped up with duct tape to cover a hole.

    Grogan-Cannella’s body was found naked from the waist down. The cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation according to the medical examiner’s office.

    Rector and several other people were living in the home at the time of the murder. Grogan-Cannella’s mother and several others left the home and went to Walmart around midnight Sept. 1, leaving Rector with Grogan-Cannella and her sister downstairs. The girl’s step-grandmother was upstairs. Grogan-Cannella’s sister reportedly told police that when she came out of the bathroom, Rector and the girl were missing.

    Grogan-Cannella’s mother and the others returned to the home and, after searching the house for the girl, called Bullhead City police around 1:18 a.m. Sept. 2.

    Police located Rector a few hours later near Walmart after he allegedly shoplifted clothes from the department store. Police reportedly found his old shoes, which he tried to hide at the store, and a shirt, which was found along Highway 95. FBI agents and police searched Grogan-Cannella’s home. Rector was arrested later that night.

    Rector has been arrested more than a dozen times in the past decade. He pleaded guilty in 2006 to misdemeanor aggravated assault and disorderly and criminal trespassing charges earlier in 2014, all in justice court.

    http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...ecf806748.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Meth binge preceded girl’s slaying: Suspect in 8-year-old’s death told police he had spent all day smoking

    By DK McDONALD
    The Mohave Valley Daily News

    BULLHEAD CITY — The Bullhead City man facing kidnapping and murder charges in the death of 8-year-old Isabella “Bella” Grogan-Cannella said he spent the day of her disappearance smoking methamphetamine, according to police documents released Tuesday.

    An affidavit establishing probable cause for a search of the girl’s home indicated that Justin James Rector, 26, told detectives he had been staying at the residence for two days and had been sleeping in the living room. Rector told detectives that he had been smoking methamphetamine throughout the day in an upstairs bedroom of the two-story duplex where Grogan-Cannella lived with her mother, stepfather and other family members.

    On Sept. 4 nearly 100 items were removed from the home by police as evidence, according to the search warrant, including a pair of girls panties found on the exterior west wall of the home. Other items of clothing seized included a dark gray T-shirt with bleach stains found in an outdoor recycle bin, a black zip-up hoodie found in a trash container in the driveway of the home and a pair of blue jeans with a flower print found in a trash bag. Police also seized a white trash bag containing paper towels with brown stains, as well as all bed linens from Grogan-Cannella’s bed and a portion cut out of a mattress from inside the home.

    On Sept. 11, a grand jury indicted Rector on first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse and abandonment of a dead body. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Mohave County Jail in Kingman on Friday. The case will be assigned to Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen.

    Grogan-Cannella was reported missing in the early morning of Sept. 2. Her body, naked from the waist down, was found the next afternoon in a shallow grave in a wash roughly a half-mile from her home.

    The Mohave County Medical Examiner determined the girl’s cause of death as asphyxiation by strangulation.

    Rector and several other people were living in the home. According to statements given to the police, Grogan-Cannella’s mother, Tania Ann Grogan, and several others left the home and went to Walmart around midnight Sept. 1. The girl’s step-grandmother was upstairs. Rector, Grogan-Cannella and her sister, who had reportedly been playing hide and seek earlier in the evening, were downstairs. Grogan-Cannella’s sister reportedly told police that when she came out of the bathroom, Rector and the girl were missing.

    Grogan-Cannella’s mother and the others returned to the home and after searching the house for the girl, called Bullhead City Police around 1:18 a.m. Sept. 2.

    Police located Rector a few hours later near Walmart after he allegedly shoplifted clothes from the department store. Police reportedly found his old shoes, which he tried to hide at the store, and a shirt, which was found along Highway 95. Witnesses reported seeing someone matching Rector’s description leaving the area of the shallow grave the night Grogan-Cannella went missing. Shoeprints found near the girl’s body allegedly matched Rector’s shoes, one of which had been taped up with duct tape to cover a hole.

    Rector was arrested for shoplifting later that night and has been held without bond in the county jail.

    http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/...0ec8534d4.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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