Az - Dr Steven Pitt Shot Dead Outside His Office

[creepcrusher]

Hello neighbor. I agree.

 

[Gooddeeds]

The funeral for Dr Pitt was today. I didn’t have any luck linking it, if anyone else is able to please do. TIA

 

[Tortoise]

It's the fastest DNA testing I've ever heard of.

Four hours (I believe the spokesman said) between gathering a familial swab and testing the bullet casing at Dr Pitt's murder scene.

 

[enelram]

The funeral for Dr Pitt was today. I didn’t have any luck linking it, if anyone else is able to please do. TIA

His Obituary:

https://www.hansenmortuary.com/dr-steven-e-pitt/

 

[enelram]

Photos of husband and wife killed in Fountain Hills-
No connection mentioned.

Police identify 2 victims found dead in Fountain Hills home connected to Valley killing spree

 

[enelram]

Dr. Pitt testified in divorce proceedings that Jones had:
Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Symptoms of Paranoid Personality
Acted Impulsively and Aggressively
Lacked remorse and close friends
Required excessive admiration

Retired policeman's hunch leads to suspect in 6 killings

 

[StephanieH]

This is an exceptionally good thread. Thanks for having it! Yeah, this guy held on to some serious anger for 7-8 years.

 

[enelram]

During their 20 yr. marriage, Jones was accused of physically abusing his wife countlees times including one incident where he fractured her sternum in 2007 according to their divorce records.

Dr. Pitt stated Jones had Paranoid Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Anti-Social Personality
Disorder.
PD: ‘We knew he was our suspect and murderer’

 

[enelram]

Many details on 20+ yr. marriage of Jones and ex-wife. Ex-wife was at one time ordered to pay $6,000 in alimony to her ex husband. Jones was stay at home husband while she worked.

Also info on Memorial Service for Dr. Pitt.

Phoenix-area shooting suspect left divorce full of discord, YouTube channel full of grudges

 

[StephanieH]

How did a well-educated and obviously financially independent woman put up with that for 20 years?

 

[enelram]

Memorial Service for Dr. Steven Pitt-

Hundreds gather to remember slain forensic psychiatrist Steven Pitt

 

[enelram]

How did a well-educated and obviously financially independent woman put up with that for 20 years?[/QUOTE

Some women try and try and try to stick it out and make the marriage survive. Maybe she didn't believe in divorce. Maybe
she didn't want to separate the father and son? Maybe he was
a good househusband and babysitter? My guess is she was waiting for the son to become older and independent and then she would boot him. But in the meantime, he wouldn't work and was spending his days in strip bars (and maybe drinking?) and he
started beating one her so she called it quits after numerous
beatings.

 

[Doghairrules]

Photos of husband and wife killed in Fountain Hills-
No connection mentioned.

Police identify 2 victims found dead in Fountain Hills home connected to Valley killing spree

Did I read that correctly that he killed this poor couple while under surveillance?

 

[Tortoise]

Did I read that correctly that he killed this poor couple while under surveillance?

The details on that are sketchy. Police said they knew he had been in the area although they hadn't actually started their surveillance of Jones until about 3 hours later that day (Sunday).

I wonder if they were unofficially surveilling him based on the Saturday night tip that came in from Connie's husband who had drawn the connection between Pitt and the law firm and the therapist.

I believe it was when they retrieved Bryon Thomas's pistol (the husband of the couple in Fountain Hills) from the rubbish bin, and probably did a check on the weapon's registered keeper, that they asked the Maricopa Sheriff's office to do a wellness check at Thomas's address and discovered the bodies.

I'm not aware that they have been able to establish a connection between Jones and the married couple, which seems very odd. I wonder if he broke in to a random dwelling to steal a firearm but then why he would throw it away can't be explained.

 

[enelram]

Did I read that correctly that he killed this poor couple while under surveillance?

It's not clear if LE was near this home or neighbors saw his car.
Articles just say LE knew he was at that home that day they were killed. I wondered the same thing with how it was written.

 

[enelram]

The details on that are sketchy. Police said they knew he had been in the area although they hadn't actually started their surveillance of Jones until about 3 hours later that day (Sunday).

I wonder if they were unofficially surveilling him based on the Saturday night tip that came in from Connie's husband who had drawn the connection between Pitt and the law firm and the therapist.

I believe it was when they retrieved Bryon Thomas's pistol (the husband of the couple in Fountain Hills) from the rubbish bin, and probably did a check on the weapon's registered keeper, that they asked the Maricopa Sheriff's office to do a wellness check at Thomas's address and discovered the bodies.

I'm not aware that they have been able to establish a connection between Jones and the married couple, which seems very odd. I wonder if he broke in to a random dwelling to steal a firearm but then why he would throw it away can't be explained.

There is a potential weak connection so far. The wife played
tennis 3 times per week and Jones had been a tennis instructor.
The husband was a teacher, I wondered if he testified for the
son or ex-wife in the divorce.

 

[stx722]

The details on that are sketchy. Police said they knew he had been in the area although they hadn't actually started their surveillance of Jones until about 3 hours later that day (Sunday).

I wonder if they were unofficially surveilling him based on the Saturday night tip that came in from Connie's husband who had drawn the connection between Pitt and the law firm and the therapist.

I believe it was when they retrieved Bryon Thomas's pistol (the husband of the couple in Fountain Hills) from the rubbish bin, and probably did a check on the weapon's registered keeper, that they asked the Maricopa Sheriff's office to do a wellness check at Thomas's address and discovered the bodies.

I'm not aware that they have been able to establish a connection between Jones and the married couple, which seems very odd. I wonder if he broke in to a random dwelling to steal a firearm but then why he would throw it away can't be explained.

MOO here. I think the last victims may have been an attempt to "throw off" the investigation, to make it seem like a random crime.
I think we will learn that they were killed with the stolen handgun. I think Jones didn't realize they were already onto him, and wanted to throw LE off the trail. I've searched for any links (profession, employer, etc.) I think these were two retired folks just living their life, and were targeted by Jones. It's a sad, sad case indeed. So much destruction and sadness around these events. This was a disturbed, very angry, very violent person responsible for all this.

 

[stx722]

There is a potential weak connection so far. The wife played
tennis 3 times per week and Jones had been a tennis instructor.
The husband was a teacher, I wondered if he testified for the
son or ex-wife in the divorce.

I think you may be on to something. Do you have a reference, link, etc?

 

[Tortoise]

Do you think he might have been planning to frame the husband of the couple for the murders? He doesn't look too dissimilar to Jones himself and if he would phone in an anonymous tip that he recognized the husband and then police might theorize the husband had killed his wife and then killed himself? I'm speculating he could have left his own firearm at the house next to the man's body, not that there has been any suggestion of that from police. He may have killed himself on Monday with a second firearm.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Do you think he might have been planning to frame the husband of the couple for the murders? He doesn't look too dissimilar to Jones himself and if he would phone in an anonymous tip that he recognized the husband and then police might theorize the husband had killed his wife and then killed himself? I'm speculating he could have left his own firearm at the house next to the man's body, not that there has been any suggestion of that from police. He may have killed himself on Monday with a second firearm.

I love new insights and ideas.

Here's mine - I think we will hear about the connection to this older couple in the coming days.