In the quiet community of Red Lake, north of Williams, Arizona, a tragedy unfolded that shattered the peace of the neighborhood. On the morning of May 2, 2017, a concerned neighbor discovered the body of 67-year-old Michael Dimuria inside his home. Responding Coconino County Sheriff's Deputies soon found a second victim, Michael's 64-year-old wife, Nora Dimuria, also deceased within the residence.
The couple, an entrepreneur who mentored others and a dedicated nurse, had been the victims of a double homicide.
Investigators arriving at the scene found the Dimurias' home had been ransacked, and their white 2006 Jeep Liberty was missing. This discovery initiated a multi-agency investigation to piece together the events that led to the couple's untimely deaths and to locate their stolen vehicle. The search for the Jeep and the person or persons responsible extended beyond Arizona's borders.
The investigation quickly identified a person of interest, 29-year-old Derrick Shawn Barnett of Grand Junction, Colorado. Law enforcement agencies in both Arizona and Colorado collaborated in the manhunt. A break in the case came when deputies in Dolores County, Colorado, located the Dimurias' abandoned Jeep at a campground in Dove Creek. The search for Barnett intensified, culminating in a 30-mile high-speed chase. Barnett was ultimately apprehended by deputies from the Dolores and Montezuma County Sheriff's Offices, along with the Colorado State Police.
Following his arrest, Derrick Shawn Barnett was charged with the murders of Michael and Nora Dimuria, as well as theft of a means of transportation and misconduct with a weapon. He was taken into custody and held at the Montezuma County Jail in Colorado to face charges for the crimes committed in that state before facing legal proceedings for the homicides in Arizona. Authorities recovered property believed to be evidence in the case, bringing a swift, albeit somber, development in the investigation into the deaths of the well-loved couple.
