Michael Brendan Glover was a beloved son, brother, boyfriend, and friend from Scottsdale, Arizona. A 27-year-old White man, he had a passion for baseball that began at a young age, with his family spending countless hours at games and practices. Later in life, he found a love for horses and formed a special bond with his own horse, Thor. His family remembered that the companionship he found with the animal inspired them to donate Thor to a facility for children, continuing Michael’s legacy of
compassion.
On a camping trip in late September 2023, Michael’s life was tragically cut short. He was with a friend, Zachary Dillabough, at a campsite in the Tonto National Forest off Houston Mesa Road, near Payson. In the early morning hours of September 30, a woman camping nearby heard about six gunshots. Around 4:30 a.m., she called 911, reporting that as she was driving away from the area, a woman came running out of the woods.
Officers from the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, the Payson Police Department, and the Tonto Apache Police Department responded to the scene. When they arrived at the campsite, they found Michael Glover deceased. Dillabough, a 27-year-old resident of Scottsdale, was also present at the camp and was taken into custody. After searching the area, investigators determined that no one else had been involved in the incident.
Zachary Dillabough was arrested and booked into jail in connection with Michael’s death. While initial charges varied in reports, a Gila County grand jury later formally indicted him on one count of second-degree murder. Authorities have not publicly released any details about what may have led to the shooting.
As of November 2023, the case against Zachary Dillabough was proceeding through the court system.
