In the early morning hours of June 22, 2017, a contentious relationship culminated in the shooting death of 33-year-old Jose “JD” Arvizu in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The fatal encounter took place on a darkened roadway in Hereford, a community south of Sierra Vista, where Roger Delane Wilson shot Arvizu.
The two men had a history of animosity.
Just days before the deadly incident, Arvizu had physically assaulted Wilson, striking him in the face during an argument that was witnessed by several people. On the night of the shooting, the antagonism continued. Both men were at the home of a mutual acquaintance where they exchanged heated words, leading to them being told to leave. Wilson then went to his mother's nearby home. It remains unclear if Arvizu followed him or came upon him by chance.
Wilson, who was standing by his truck attempting to unlock a gate, fired a single shot from a shotgun, striking Arvizu in the chest. Wilson claimed he acted in self-defense, believing he and his mother were in imminent danger. Following the shooting, Wilson was taken into custody.
At trial, a jury rejected Wilson's self-defense claim and convicted him of first-degree murder with premeditation in 2020. He was subsequently sentenced to natural life in prison. An autopsy report revealed that Arvizu had a toxic concentration of methamphetamine in his system at the time of his death. Wilson later appealed his conviction, arguing that the judge erred by not providing the jury with certain instructions related to justifiable use of force. In May 2022, the Arizona Court of Appeals agreed and ordered a new trial for Roger Delane Wilson.
