Stories

Homicides

Brianna Wood Murder Case
On July 4, 2007, Brianna Wood was murdered by her boyfriend in Phoenix and transported to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico.  Sonora State police stopped the suspect for erratic driving and located Brianna’s lifeless body in the vehicle.  Thanks to the cooperation between the Sonora State Police, U.S. Marshal’s Agents and the Sonora Attorney General’s Office, Phoenix International Criminal Apprehension Team Detectives were able to travel to Puerto Peñasco and retrieve the victim’s body, stolen vehicle, murder weapon as well as the suspect within two days after the murder.

Hon's Murder Case
In 1992, Mr. Hon and his son were murdered in the tourist Port of San Carlos, Sonora.  After a lengthy investigation and with the assistance of Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the case was solved and the bodies of Mr. Hon and his son were finally located and returned to Arizona. The suspects are serving a lengthy prison term in Sonora.

Patricia “Trish” Willoughby Murder Case
On February 23, 1991, Patricia “Trish” Willoughby was killed by her husband Dan Willoughby and his lover while vacationing in Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), Sonora. The case was investigated by Arizona and Sonora authorities, which resulted in the convictions of Willoughby in Arizona and in Sonora. This was the first time a Mexican inmate was brought to Arizona to testify in a criminal trial. The lover’s testimony was crucial in convicting Willoughby.

LeBaron Case
In 1988, two female suspects of the LeBaron family were convicted in Arizona on evidence recovered from the Federal Highway Patrol in Nogales, Sonora. The female suspects gave testimony and evidence on several murders that occurred in Texas, Arizona, Sonora and Utah. An FBI task force had been trying to convict the LeBaron family and without the evidence that convicted the two females for auto theft, this would not have been possible. Several agencies cooperated in this case--The Federal Prosecutor (PGR) in Nogales, Sonora, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Border Unit, the Phoenix Police Department Auto Theft Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation from Arizona, Utah and Texas, and the Sonora State Attorney General’s Office. Case history was made as an appeal was made due to the evidence collected in Mexico. The Defense Attorney said the evidence was inadmissible, as Mexico did not have a chain of custody on the evidence. The appellate courts said that the evidence was admissible since there was a chain of custody from the Federal Prosecutor (PGR) in Mexico to the U.S. Officer (Arizona Department of Public Safety Border Unit).