Arrest Made In Phoenix Regarding 1987 Cold Case Involving Beaten And Burned Woman

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

June 3, 2020

Cold case detectives from the Phoenix Police Department and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office arrested 52-year-old Darron Miniefield Tuesday in connection with a 1987 cold case.

On February 21, 1987, Marilyn Johns was found beaten, sexually assaulted, and set on fire in an alley near the 100 block of East Buchanan Street. Johns, in her early 40s, was transported to Maricopa County Hospital Burn Unit for 3rd degree burns on more than 85 percent of her body. She died several days later on March 5, 1987. Investigators worked the case extensively, but the case eventually went cold.

In the years that followed the death of Johns, investigators requested additional evidence testing, and with the Phoenix Police Crime Lab were able to further the investigation.

Then, between 2019 and 2020, a Phoenix Police detective began working the case with a Maricopa County Attorney's Office investigators. The two tracked down additional evidence, leading to the indictment of Darron Miniefield as the suspect in this homicide on May 28, 2020.

Miniefield was arrested on June 2, 2020 in the 2000 block of 41st Avenue by members of the Fugitive Apprehension Investigations Detail. Miniefield denied any involvement and was booked on first degree murder. The arrest was made possible by the solid groundwork of the original investigators.

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.