In a quiet home in the rural community of Tonopah, Arizona, about 50 miles west of Phoenix, the life of 59-year-old John Norton came to a tragic and violent end on Monday, October 23, 2017. He was found deceased inside his residence with an apparent gunshot wound. The initial call to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office came from Norton's 15-year-old adopted daughter, who claimed a former boyfriend had forced his way into their home and shot her father. She told dispatchers that she and her younger sister had fled the house after the shooting.
However, inconsistencies in the teenager's story quickly raised suspicions among investigators. As they processed the scene and interviewed witnesses, a different and more disturbing narrative began to emerge. The focus of the investigation soon turned to the 15-year-old girl and her 21-year-old boyfriend, Daniel Robert Stroh. Under questioning, both suspects confessed to the murder, revealing that it was not a random act of violence but a premeditated plan that had been in the works for several days.
The motive for the killing appeared to stem from the father's disapproval of his daughter's relationship with the older boyfriend. The investigation revealed that the daughter was angry because Norton had forbidden her boyfriend from visiting due to his age. The couple then conspired to murder him. The daughter admitted to hiding her father's gun to give to Stroh. On the day of the murder, Stroh hid inside the Norton home while the daughter waited outside. Stroh then fatally shot John Norton in the kitchen. Following their confessions, Daniel Stroh was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The 15-year-old daughter was also taken into custody and faced a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. She was later sentenced as an adult to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
