In the quiet early morning hours of August 2, 2024, a residence in the 3800 block of Diabase Drive in Golden Valley, Arizona, became the scene of a fatal confrontation. Just after 12:40 AM, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting that a man had been shot. When deputies arrived, they found 41-year-old David Richard Roberts Jr. deceased on the property from gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the death of the male victim quickly pointed to a suspect, Kenneth Joseph
Carter, for whom a temporary felony warrant was issued. Detectives were also looking for his father, Kenneth Allen Carter, for questioning. Later that day, both men turned themselves in to authorities. The younger Carter, 36, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, while his 58-year-old father was charged with hindering prosecution.
As the case moved to the courts, the narrative of what transpired that night began to take shape, though the precise motive remained murky, with speculation of a dispute over money or a love triangle. It was revealed that Kenneth Carter and his father had driven to Roberts' home after midnight. An argument ensued between Carter and Roberts, who had come out of his residence.
During the subsequent trial, the defense argued that Kenneth Carter had acted in self-defense. They claimed that Roberts was armed with a 9mm handgun and fired first, with a ricocheting bullet wounding the elder Carter. It was then, the defense contended, that Kenneth Carter, armed with an AR-15 rifle, returned fire, striking Roberts in the side and back. The prosecution painted a different picture, portraying the Carters as the aggressors who had arrived at Roberts' home at an unreasonable hour and advanced on him. They argued there was no justification for the deadly shooting, telling the jury they would hear a jailhouse recording of the defendant boasting about the nickname 'AR-Kenny.'
