The Arizona man apologized in courtroom as he was sentenced for the brutal murder of his former roommate, whose physique elements have been allegedly put in quite a few trash receptacles throughout the Phoenix house.
Timothy Sullivan, 66, blamed a traumatic thoughts hurt and acknowledged he takes “full responsibility for my actions” in courtroom on Friday ahead of his sentencing for the brutal 2020 murder and dismemberment of his former roommate Amy “Ruby” Leagans, 49.
He pleaded accountable on September 3, 2024 to bills of second-degree murder and concealing a physique, eliminating the need for a trial. Nonetheless, the prosecution spoke to the determine ahead of Sullivan’s sentencing, as did the sufferer’s family.
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The prosecutor referred to as him a “convicted liar” and “predator,” per NBC affiliate KPNX. As well as they well-known that totally different ladies allegedly victimized by Sullivan had acknowledged they’ve been ready to journey from out of state in order to testify in opposition to him in a murder trial.
Leagans’ family moreover spoke out ahead of sentencing, describing Sullivan as a “repeat offender,” referencing allegations that he had a jail historic previous of exploiting the assumption of others, as reported by KPNX.
As well as they reminded the determine of how he had brutalized the sufferer, and desecrated her stays, likening his actions to how a butcher cuts up a cow. “He deemed her trash to be dumped inside the Arizona desert,” certainly one of many sufferer’s sisters knowledgeable the determine, per the outlet.
KPNX moreover reported that Sullivan was on probation for aggravated assault sooner than Leagans’ lack of life. He indicated to police upon his arrest that his actions “have been spontaneous and heinous in nature,” per licensed paperwork.
In saying his sentence, the determine made an equivalent remark, calling Sullivan a “hazard to society” and saying he “dealt with [the victim] like trash.”
Sullivan was sentenced to 25 years for the murder price, and an additional six-and-a-half years for attempting to cowl her stays. These sentences may be served consecutively.
“What that man did to my sister, what he did on this judicial system, his manipulations, his lies, is excruciating,” Leagans’ sister Lori Porth knowledgeable KPNX after the sentence.
“He can’t harm anyone else and that not lower than helps me uncover some type of peace,” added her totally different sister Christa Holton.
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Discovering Amy Leagan’s Physique
Amy Leagans was reported missing on October 27, 2020 after her mother had not heard from her shortly. Upon deeper investigation, police determined the ultimate time she was seen alive was October 14.
Leagans had solely simply recently moved to the Arizona house, as reported by KSAZ, having relocated from Illinois in June or July of that 12 months. For the time being, police determined that Leagans was residing with Timothy Sullivan in a shared condominium in Chandler. KPNX reported in 2020 that courtroom paperwork acknowledged Leagans and Sullivan have been in a relationship.
Due to his “violent jail historic previous of residence violence related offenses,” per KSAZ, police have been immediately suspicious of Sullivan having some involvement in her disappearance, though the two have been not residing collectively.
The first big break inside the case obtained right here whereas they’ve been trying to make contact with him at his latest sort out and found his automotive parked there.
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Inside, investigators reported discovering “a bottle of bleach, latex gloves, a scrub brush, mattress sheets, pillowcases and a duffle bag,” per the outlet. This led to a search warrant on November 11, 2020, which uncovered an house inside the yard that had been raked and coated calmly with mulch, per police.
“This house was unearthed and gadgets of burned garments, human hair, a bracelet and a tag (dimension 6) for an article of women’s garments [were] positioned,” police reported in courtroom paperwork. As well as they reported many of the uncovered objects smelled “of an pace up very similar to lighter fluid.”
Police further detailed discovering human blood on Leagans’ mattress inside her condominium, on the once more seat of her vehicle, and on a pillow found inside Sullivan’s automotive.
Merely six days later, they discovered the stays of a human torso near the Salt River. “The physique was that of an nearly skeletonized female that was inside a black plastic bag and coated with mulch,” investigators acknowledged in courtroom paperwork. “The physique confirmed indicators of trauma and was dismembered.”
On November 19, two days after it had been discovered, the stays have been positively acknowledged as Leagans. Police reported Sullivan as being taken into custody on November 25.
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Timothy Sullivan’s Confession
Early of their investigation, police discovered a police report relationship once more to September 2020 the place Amy Leagans acknowledged Timothy Sullivan had pushed her quite a few cases all through an argument. Information current there was no proof of an altercation and “no enforcement was taken” for the time being.
Police lastly found Sullivan staying at an ex-girlfriend’s residence in Scottsdale after Leagans’ disappearance. The women reportedly knowledgeable officers, consistent with AZ Family, that she had a “troubled relationship” with Sullivan.
The unidentified lady moreover detailed an alleged newest altercation she’d had with him the place he’d strangled her and threatened to “bury me inside the once more yard like Amy.”
Primarily based on courtroom paperwork, after he was arrested in relation to Leagans’ disappearance — and at last murder — and after having been be taught his Miranda Rights, Sullivan confessed to killing her.
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He knowledgeable investigators, per courtroom paperwork, that they’ve been arguing at Leagans’ dwelling when he “snapped” and “choked the sufferer until she stopped respiration.”
He then left her physique alone inside the condominium for two days, sooner than Sullivan confessed to returning, wrapping her physique in a tarp and burying her inside the once more yard.
He knowledgeable police that after he “turned apprehensive,” he exhumed the physique. It was then that he decided to dismember her physique with an ax, telling police he positioned fully totally different limbs in trash receptacles throughout the East Valley and dumped her torso inside the desert the place she’d been recovered.
In case you’re experiencing residence violence, title the Nationwide Dwelling Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. The hotline is on the market 24/7 in further than 170 languages; Calls are confidential and toll-free.