Suspect in Murder of JonBenet Forensic Psychologist & 3 Other Killings Commits Suicide at Motel

June 04, 2018
By: Catherine Townsend

Related To:

Sketch of suspect in shootings

Photo by: Phoenix Police Department

Phoenix Police Department

Sketch of suspect in shootings

PHOENIX, AZ — The suspect who has been linked to four recent murders in Arizona has killed himself after being surrounded by police at a motel, according to authorities.

SWAT teams swarmed the Extended Stay America hotel, ABC News reported. Several shots were reportedly heard inside the motel room.

Police reportedly gassed the room and sent a robot inside — and the machine was able to determine that the suspect had committed suicide.

Law-enforcement sources told ABC News the suspect is Dwight Lamon Jones, 56. Police say Jones has been linked to several different killings, all committed in a period of three days.

On Thursday, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Steven Pitt, who assisted in the JonBenét Ramseycase, was found dead outside of his office, near Scottsdale.

Witnesses told police they heard a loud argument followed with gunshots, Phoenix Police Sergeant Vince Lewis said Friday.

Pitt also consulted on nationally prominent cases including the Columbine High School massacre, the Jodi Arias trial, and the Phoenix serial killer known as the Baseline Killer.

On Friday, paralegals Veleria Sharp, 48, and Laura Anderson, 49, were fatally shot at a law office.

Police believe the paralegals’ deaths were related to the Pitt shooting.

Marshall Levine, a 72-year-old psychiatrist and hypnotherapist, was found shot inside a Scottsdale office building shortly after midnight Saturday.

Police described the suspect in Pitt’s murder as a bald man wearing a dark-colored hat with a short brim, and they released a sketch of the suspect.

Law-enforcement officials have since confirmed that the same gun was linked to all four murders.

The investigation continues.

Watch Investigation Discovery’s JonBenét: An American Murder Mystery on ID GO now!

Watch Now:

Read more: ABC News , USA Today

Next Up

True Crime News Roundup: Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot Two Weeks Before Her Due Date

Plus: Brian Laundrie’s father joins the search for his fugitive son; a group of investigators believe they’ve identified the Zodiac Killer; and a convicted con man on the run for decades is possibly spotted at a Dodgers game.

True Crime News Roundup: 1964 Cold Case Rape And Murder Of 9-Year-Old Girl Solved, Police Say

Plus: Navarro Cheer star accepts plea deal; and Parkland killer claims he has multiple personalities.

Fugitive Allegedly Kills Wife After Meeting Through Prison Pen Pal Program

The Phoenix Police created an age enhanced photo of what William "Bubba" Plemons may look like today. If you have any information on this ex-convict, career criminal, please contact our hotline directly. You can always remain anonymous and you can text information 24/7: 833-378-7783 (3-PURSUE).

Instagram Model Dead After Stalker Breaks Into Her Home In Murder-Suicide Case

“She was so famous in her world, and so loved in ours,” the victim’s mother says.

Man Freed After Spending 21 Years In Prison For Murder Despite Another Man’s Confession

McKinley ‘Mac’ Phipps said he had stopped believing in people and the system: ‘Everything was just dark.’

Aspiring Drug Kingpin Fatally Shot Newlyweds, Plotted Murder-For-Hire Scheme

James Charles Tooley was connected to the 2008 double homicide after his cousin turned him in.

What To Know About The Police Killing Of Rayshard Brooks

In June 2020, the 34-year-old Black man was shot and killed by an Atlantic Police officer in a Wendy’s parking lot.

True Crime News Roundup: Former NFL Player Indicted For Murdering Girlfriend, Prosecutors Say

Plus: Maryland woman allegedly shoots her husband after he’s accused of sexually abusing children; hit-and-run driver kills man who had plans to propose; police determine what happened to slain Rhode Island couple; three school employees indicted in connection with autistic student’s death.

Convicted Killer Robert Durst Faces Murder Trial In Connection To His Wife’s 1982 Disappearance

One-time Manhattan real estate heir Robert Durst was found guilty in California of the first-degree murder of his best friend and confidante, Susan Berman.

Undercover Cop Uses Alter Ego ‘Missy’ To Capture Suspected Wife Killer

“I came in like a fresh friend,” Joan Bauer says of getting Philip Snider to open up during their chats over coffee at Burger King.