In a tragic act of domestic violence, 52-year-old Maryann Valenzuela Fernandez was fatally shot in her Phoenix, Arizona, home on December 11, 2013. The gunman was her common-law husband of nearly three decades, Manuel Olivas, who was also 52 years old. The couple had a long history together and shared seven children.
The horrific events unfolded in the presence of Maryann's brother and one of the couple's adult children.
Olivas turned a gun on Fernandez, ending her life in a sudden and violent manner. Immediately following the shooting, Olivas threatened Fernandez's brother, escalating the terrifying situation.
Before law enforcement could intervene and make an arrest, the tragedy deepened. After killing his wife and menacing her brother, Manuel Olivas turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. The incident was ultimately determined to be a murder-suicide, leaving a family shattered by the loss of both parents in a single, devastating event.
