In the early morning hours of April 19, 2016, 55-year-old Krystal Annette White was found deceased on the side of a road near 32nd Street and Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona. She had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. For months, her death remained a mystery, leaving her family heartbroken and searching for answers. Her sister remembered her as a kind-hearted woman who would give her last dollar to someone in need and who was a beloved mother, grandmother, and aunt.
At the time of her death, it is believed she was on her way to a store to help an elderly person she cared for.
The investigation into Krystal's death took a significant turn when Phoenix police linked her case to a string of other homicides that had been terrorizing the Maryvale neighborhood. A series of eight shootings had resulted in seven deaths, and law enforcement released a sketch of a suspect described as a Hispanic male in his early 30s. The apparently random nature of the shootings spread fear throughout the community as the unknown assailant, dubbed the 'Serial Street Shooter,' targeted individuals in seemingly unconnected attacks.
In May 2017, a major breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of 23-year-old Aaron Juan Saucedo. Authorities charged him with 26 felony counts, including homicide, aggravated assault, and drive-by shooting, in connection with twelve shootings that resulted in nine deaths. Krystal Annette White was officially named as one of the victims of this deadly rampage. The investigation revealed that the series of attacks began in August 2015 and continued until July 2016. Saucedo's arrest brought a sense of relief to the community and the families of the victims, finally offering a path toward justice for the senseless loss of life.
