In the late afternoon of a warm Friday in Scottsdale, Arizona, on September 4, 2015, a domestic tragedy unfolded that ended the life of 74-year-old Mona Denton. The quiet neighborhood in the 7300 block of Valley Vista was disturbed when Mona's husband, 75-year-old John Denton, appeared at a neighbor's doorstep with alarming news. He stated that his wife was in need of medical attention before he quickly returned to his own home, locking the door behind him.
The concerned neighbor
promptly called 911. While on the phone, a loud noise was heard from the Denton residence. When Scottsdale police officers arrived at the scene, they were forced to make entry into the home. Inside, they discovered the bodies of both Mona and John Denton in the front room. The investigation that followed determined that the couple had been experiencing marital difficulties and were in the process of a divorce.
The investigation concluded that John Denton had shot and killed his wife, Mona, before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. As the perpetrator of Mona Denton's death was also deceased, there was no arrest to be made in the case. The incident left the community to grapple with the sudden and violent loss of a couple known to be facing a period of turmoil in their lives.
