In a quiet Gilbert, Arizona subdivision, the afternoon of May 2, 2012, was shattered by a brutal act of domestic violence that claimed the lives of five people, including 47-year-old Lisa Lynn Mederos. The tragedy unfolded inside the home she shared with her boyfriend, Jason Todd 'J.T.' Ready, a man known for his ties to neo-Nazi groups and anti-immigrant militias.
The events were set in motion by a frantic 911 call from Lisa, her voice escalating in terror as she told the dispatcher her boyfriend had a gun, moments before the line was punctuated by the sound of gunshots and fell silent.
When police arrived at the home, they discovered a horrific scene. Lisa and her 23-year-old daughter, Amber Nieve Mederos, were found deceased inside the house. Outside, lay the bodies of Ready and Amber's 24-year-old boyfriend, Jim Franklin Hiott. Amber’s 15-month-old daughter, Lilly Lynn Mederos, was found alive inside but succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Another of Lisa's daughters, who was in her bedroom when the argument began, survived the massacre physically unharmed by hiding under her bed. In a heart-wrenching 911 call, she sobbed as she told the dispatcher she came out to find her family on the floor in a pool of blood.
The investigation quickly identified the perpetrator as 39-year-old J.T. Ready, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, making the incident a murder-suicide. Authorities concluded the rampage stemmed from a domestic dispute. The investigation revealed a history of domestic violence, with Lisa having previously reported an incident of being choked by Ready, though no charges were filed. A search of the home uncovered a cache of weapons, including military-grade grenades, firearms, and Nazi paraphernalia, painting a grim picture of the violent ideology that coexisted with the family's daily life. The community was left to mourn the devastating loss of four innocent lives at the hands of one man.
