For nearly a decade, the hard-baked 72-year-old handyman and back-hoe operated lived out on the edges of the tiny eastern Arizona town of St. Johns--on a wind-swept tract of land that was really more junkyard and compound than traditional dwelling. And it was there in late April that somebody murdered William F. Stone (a.k.a "Stoney")--ambushed him at his remote and isolated home and shot him executional style.
I go involved with the story when my good friend Sgt. Paul Penzone with the Phoenix P.D. called me. Penzone is the coordinator of the Silent Witness Program here in the Valley of the Sun and he told me he had an interesting situation on his hands.
The bottomline: he had been contacted by a young deputy sheriff up in Apache County named Lance Spivey. Spivey was working the old man's murder case with a veteran sheriff's sgt. named John Scruggs. Scruggs and Spivey are good guys and hard-working cops but after hundreds of hours and hundreds of leads the murder of William Stone remain unsolved.
Towns folk in St. Johns--where they haven't had a murder in nearly two years--were starting to get edgy and Spivey suddenly had an inspired idea. They don't have a silent witness program in Apache County so he contacted Paul Penzone to see if Phoenix P.D. would be willing to leaned a hand. Always up for helping a fellow cop, Penzone said sure and he asked me if I was interested in taking a little road trip up to St. Johns.
On the appointed day we all met at the Apache County Sheriff's Office in St. Johns--a community of about 3000 and a small town in just about every way. After some fast introductions and a quick briefing we then caravaned about five miles out of town--down dirt roads--to the scene of the crime--William Stone's compound--a dusty and eccentric landscape and layout if there ever was one. Stone's home was actually a collection of about a half dozen small individual modular box-like buildings--all lined up in a row--with about 15 feet separating them--each box with its own unique function--one a kitchen--the other a t.v. room--the next a makeshift spa--and one of course William Stone's bedroom. The reason for the unusual set-up--William Stone--a guy renowned for being tight-fisted with a buck--had apparently been told that if his house was less than 1000 square feet he didn't have to pay taxes. So there it was--instead of a house--William Stone had himself a row of boxes surrounded by cacti and rusting tools. And the best part for Stoney--he didn't have to pay Uncle Sam a penny.
According to lead investigators Spivey and Scruggs whoever murdered Stoney knew the victim well and were also well acquainted with his isolated property and quirky personal habits. They also believe there was more than one killer and that the killers parked a single vehicle about a half mile behind Stoney's compound and then approached on foot. It was probably in the dark of night and the killers undoubtedly knew that Stoney always followed a strict schedule--meaning Stoney would be asleep in his bed at the time of their arrival.
One of the killers then knocked on the front door of Stoney's bedroom while another stoodin the dark by the window that was literally just inches from Stoney's bed. When the old man moved to answer the door the killer by the window opened fire hitting William Stone several times. The killers than entered the bedroom and finished the job with a bullet to Stoney's head.
The next day when Stoney didn't show up for an appointment somebody went to look for him and the murder was discovered. Investigators say the killers stole the money and guns that Stone always had stashed in the bedroom.
Investigators Spivey and Scruggs emphasize that it is their belief that the killers knew Stoney and that Stoney knew the killers.
With the help of Sgt. Paul Penzone and Phoenix's Silent Witness Program, the Apache County Sheriff's Office is now offering a $20,000 reward for info to help solve the murder.
I get the impression that Deputy Spivey and Sgt. Scruggs are the kinds of cop who probably won't get much rest until they crack the case.
And me--well I'm going to try to keep track of this one--maybe it because I can related to the victim--a crusty and crabby old man (30 years of covering murder and mayhem will do that to you)
Anyway anybody with any info is encouraged to call 1-800-343-TIPS. It will be interesting to see if 20,000 bucks loosens any tongues--we'll see--more to come.... mw