Hunter Allen McGuire: The 2022 Arizona and Nevada Murder Suspect
Background
Hunter Allen McGuire was a 26-year-old Kingman, Arizona, resident whom authorities connected to four homicides committed in Arizona and Nevada during 2022. Although he is sometimes described as a serial killer, McGuire died before he could be arrested, tried, or convicted of the killings. He should therefore be described more precisely as an alleged or suspected serial murderer whose possible crimes were still being investigated when his life ended.
The known cases attributed to McGuire occurred during two violent periods separated by several months. The first was a double homicide near Kingman on June 28, 2022. The second involved two fatal shootings committed within approximately three days in October 2022—one in Las Vegas, Nevada, and another in Golden Valley, Arizona. Investigators believed the incidents were connected through McGuire, his girlfriend, Samantha Branek, and other people accused of helping the couple evade authorities or conceal evidence.
Confirmed and Suspected Victims
- Retta Atkins, 73 — June 28, 2022 — Kingman, Arizona: Atkins was killed at a residence on Dilligaff Road in an unincorporated area near Kingman. She was found dead alongside Darren VanHouten. Authorities described the incident as a double homicide but did not publicly disclose many details about the manner in which the victims were killed.
- Darren VanHouten, 50 — June 28, 2022 — Kingman, Arizona: VanHouten was killed with Atkins at the Dilligaff Road property. Investigators later received information indicating that Hunter McGuire and Samantha Branek may have been involved in the killings. The couple was reportedly believed to have left Arizona and hidden in Las Vegas after the double homicide.
- Georgia Ann Sherman, 33 — October 17, 2022 — Las Vegas, Nevada: Sherman was fatally shot inside a residence in the 6200 block of Craigmont Avenue, near Jones Boulevard and Flamingo Road. Las Vegas homicide detectives identified McGuire as the suspected gunman. Branek was reportedly recorded pawning property connected to the killing later that day, leading authorities to accuse her of assisting McGuire and disposing of evidence.
- Martin Eric Nelson Jr., 35 — October 19, 2022 — Golden Valley, Arizona: Nelson was found near or behind a vehicle at a property in Golden Valley with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Investigators believed the shooting occurred sometime between the night of October 18 and the afternoon of October 19. McGuire was identified as a suspect, while another man, Timothy Burt, was later arrested and accused of participating in Nelson’s murder.
The June 2022 Double Homicide
On June 28, 2022, authorities were called to a home on Dilligaff Road near Kingman, where they discovered Retta Atkins and Darren VanHouten dead. The isolated location and limited publicly released information initially left the investigation with few visible leads. Officials did not immediately announce the cause or manner of the victims’ deaths, nor did they publicly identify a suspect at the beginning of the case.
Investigators eventually developed information pointing toward McGuire and Branek. Authorities believed the couple had been involved in the double homicide and had subsequently traveled to Las Vegas, where they remained out of sight for several months. The full nature of the relationship between the suspects and the victims was never publicly explained, and no definitive motive was announced.
Because McGuire died before detectives could question him or prosecutors could present evidence in court, the allegations concerning Atkins and VanHouten were never tested during a criminal trial. The deaths nevertheless became a significant part of the later multistate investigation after Las Vegas police began examining McGuire’s alleged involvement in Sherman’s killing.
The Murder of Georgia Ann Sherman
The investigation intensified on October 17, 2022, when Georgia Ann Sherman was found fatally shot at a Las Vegas residence. Police determined that she had been killed inside the home and soon identified McGuire as the principal suspect. An arrest warrant charging him with murder with the use of a deadly weapon was issued as detectives attempted to locate him.
Evidence reportedly showed Branek pawning items associated with the homicide on the same day Sherman was killed. Her alleged actions caused police to consider her an active participant in the attempt to conceal evidence and protect McGuire. Authorities warned the public that the couple might be armed and dangerous and began coordinating with law-enforcement agencies in Arizona.
During the Las Vegas investigation, detectives received information suggesting that McGuire was also connected to the June double homicide near Kingman. What had begun as a search for a suspect in one Nevada killing quickly expanded into a broader investigation involving multiple deaths in two states.
The Golden Valley Killing
On October 19, 2022, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office responded to a remote Golden Valley property after receiving a report of a possible homicide. Deputies found Martin Eric Nelson Jr. dead from a gunshot wound to the head. His body was located near a vehicle, and investigators determined that he had been killed sometime after the previous evening.
McGuire was identified as a suspect in Nelson’s death while the search for him and Branek was already underway. Investigators also arrested Timothy Burt, who was accused of involvement in the killing. Burt was initially booked on suspicion of first-degree murder. Another woman, Brittany Conkling, was arrested on suspicion of hindering prosecution after investigators alleged that she helped conceal information or evidence connected to the suspects.
Authorities believed McGuire, Branek, Burt, and Conkling had gathered supplies and established a campsite in the desert. The location gave McGuire and Branek a place to hide while law enforcement searched residences, vehicles, and remote areas throughout Mohave County.
The Manhunt
Law-enforcement agencies in Nevada and Arizona began an intensive search for McGuire and Branek. The operation included the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, local police departments, fugitive-apprehension teams, and aviation units.
The suspects were reportedly traveling in a silver Hyundai with Arizona license plates. Investigators learned that they had obtained food, water, and camping equipment, suggesting that they intended to remain hidden in the desert. Their familiarity with the region’s isolated roads and open terrain complicated the search.
On October 21, 2022, authorities located the couple in a remote area southeast of Kingman. McGuire and Branek attempted to flee in their vehicle, leading officers on a pursuit through rugged desert terrain. The Hyundai eventually became disabled, and the pair escaped on foot.
Officers surrounded the area and attempted to establish contact. An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter monitored the couple’s location from above while deputies maintained a perimeter. After several hours, law enforcement approached and discovered McGuire and Branek lying beside one another.
Deaths of McGuire and Branek
McGuire and Branek were found dead from gunshot wounds to the head on October 21, 2022. A rifle was reportedly discovered resting on McGuire’s chest, and investigators concluded that his wound appeared to have been self-inflicted. He was 26 years old.
Branek, who was 32, had also suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. Early reports stated that investigators had not immediately determined whether she killed herself or whether McGuire shot her before taking his own life. Their deaths ended the manhunt without an arrest or interrogation.
No shots were fired by law-enforcement officers during the final confrontation. The discovery left detectives with the difficult task of reconstructing the crimes without testimony from the two primary suspects. Physical evidence, surveillance recordings, witness statements, vehicle records, pawn transactions, and information obtained from the surviving associates became central to the remaining investigations.
Unresolved Questions
Authorities publicly connected McGuire to four deaths: Atkins, VanHouten, Sherman, and Nelson. Officials also indicated that they were examining whether he might have been associated with additional homicide investigations, but details about those possible cases were not released. No additional victims were formally identified in public announcements.
A clear motive for the killings was never established publicly. It remains uncertain whether the victims were targeted for personal reasons, financial gain, robbery, disputes, or efforts to prevent witnesses from speaking to police. The June and October crimes also differed in timing and location, leaving unanswered questions about how each victim encountered McGuire and whether every killing had the same underlying motive.
Because McGuire died before charges could proceed, no jury determined his guilt. The description of him as a serial killer is based on law-enforcement allegations linking him to four killings committed during three separate incidents. His suspected crime series ended abruptly in the Arizona desert, leaving the victims’ families without a trial and leaving investigators to piece together the final months of his life through evidence rather than confession or courtroom testimony.
