Criminal Justice

Suspect in slayings of Arizona legal professionals apparently kills himself

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A suspect in the slayings of two Arizona paralegals and at least two others apparently shot and killed himself Monday morning at a hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, as SWAT teams evacuated adjacent rooms.

Police have not released details about the suspect, report the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Arizona Republic. ABC News identified a suspect by name, citing law enforcement sources, and said he had been staying at the Extended Stay America for some time. Evidence connects all four cases, police have said.

The first shooting victim was 59-year-old forensic psychiatrist Steven Pitt, known for his work on the 1996 killing of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. Pitt was killed Thursday afternoon outside his Scottsdale office.

The next victims were paralegals Veleria Sharp, 48, and Laura Anderson, 49, who worked for the Scottsdale family law firm Burt Feldman Grenier. They were killed on Friday.

The fourth victim was psychologist and marriage counselor Marshall Levine, 72. He was found dead early Saturday inside an office building located between the other shooting locations.

Police were investigating a fifth death on Monday that may be related to the other slayings, ABC15 reports.

The suspect was recently divorced and his former wife was represented by a partner at the law firm where the paralegals worked, Patch reports, citing media reports by ABC15 and 12 News. The reports relied on anonymous sources.

Pitt conducted a court-mandated mental health test on the suspect, who was receiving counseling from the office where Levine works, the reports alleged.

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