In a quiet residence in Mohave Valley, Arizona, a tragic event unfolded, leaving three people dead in what investigators would later rule a double homicide and suicide. Sixty-eight-year-old John B. Nielson, a male resident, was found deceased in his home on South Ash Street. He shared the residence with his 35-year-old niece, Alexandria S. Rockwood.
The chain of events that led to the grim discovery began when authorities were called to the home for a welfare check on the evening of
December 13, 2016. Inside, they found the bodies of Nielson, Rockwood, and 46-year-old Bruce E. Penny. The investigation by the Mohave County Sheriff's Office determined that Penny, who was Rockwood's ex-boyfriend, was the perpetrator.
Investigators pieced together a harrowing narrative. Penny had gone to the residence despite a court order prohibiting him from having any contact with Rockwood. While there, he shot and killed both Rockwood and her uncle, John Nielson. After committing the murders, Penny turned the gun on himself, taking his own life.
A handgun was discovered next to Penny's body at the scene. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office concluded their investigation by identifying Penny as the sole suspect in the deaths of Rockwood and Nielson. With the suspect also deceased, the case was closed, leaving behind a tragic story of domestic violence that culminated in the loss of three lives.
