On a Tuesday evening in Scottsdale, Arizona, 20-year-old Claudia Gutierrez-Cruz, a Hispanic female, was on her way home from work. Having just stepped off a bus on May 2, 2006, her life was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence. She was fatally shot, becoming one of several victims in a string of random shootings that had been terrorizing the Phoenix metropolitan area.
The perpetrators, who would come to be known as the 'Serial Shooters,' were Dale Hausner and his accomplice, Samuel Dieteman. That night, Hausner was driving their vehicle while Dieteman fired the shot that killed Claudia.
The series of attacks, which included shootings of people and animals, as well as arson, began in May 2005 and continued until August 2006. The duo, often fueled by methamphetamine, would drive around at night, randomly targeting pedestrians. The investigation into the shootings intensified after another murder, that of 22-year-old Robin Blasnek, on July 30, 2006. The Phoenix police, who had initially believed they were dealing with two separate serial offenders, eventually linked the cases.
A critical breakthrough in the investigation came from Ron Horton, a friend of Dieteman's. Horton informed the authorities that Dieteman had confessed to being involved in the shootings while drinking. This crucial tip led police to focus their investigation on Hausner and Dieteman. On August 3, 2006, both men were arrested outside the apartment they shared in Mesa. A search of their residence uncovered a map marked with the locations of their attacks, news clippings about the crimes, and the weapons used, solidifying the case against them.
Following their arrests, Dale Hausner and Samuel Dieteman were charged with numerous felonies, including the murders of Claudia Gutierrez-Cruz and Robin Blasnek. In March 2009, Dale Hausner was convicted on multiple counts of murder and was subsequently sentenced to death. He ultimately took his own life in prison in 2013. Samuel Dieteman received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hausner's brother, Jeff, was also implicated in some of the shootings and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement.
