PHOENIX - The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has created a cold case homicide unit that will work with local law enforcement agencies to reexamine unsolved cases with resources that may not be available on the local level.

Attorney General Kris Mayes on Thursday announced the creation of the unit along with the five Arizona cold cases that will be its initial focus, including homicides in Glendale, Apache Junction and Goodyear.

“Justice has no expiration date,” Mayes said. “This is about more than solving crimes - it’s about providing justice for the victims and their families. Every cold case represents a life that mattered and a story that deserves to be told.”  

Here are the initial cases: 

- Melody Harrison. On Aug. 6, 1992, the body of a young female was found in the desert area south of US 60 and west of Idaho Road in Apache Junction. The victim was believed to be between 16-18 years of age. The victim at the time was wearing a “Team Gear” brand, size large, T-shirt with soccer balls imprinted on the front and back. She was also wearing a pair of Levi’s denim cutoff shorts and a ring on her left ring finger. On Oct. 26, 2023, utilizing the victim’s DNA profile and familial DNA obtained by the Apache Junction police department, they were able to identify the female as 15- year-old Melody Harrison. She was reported as a missing juvenile on June 15, 1992. The case is being investigated in partnership with the Apache Junction Police Department. 

- Victoria Lacey. At approximately 4:15 a.m. Aug. 13, 2012, 25-year-old Victoria Lacey, knocked on the door of a residence in the area of 47th Avenue and Orangewood in Glendale.  She advised the residents that she had been stabbed a short distance away and needed help.  The residents called 911.  When officers and medics arrived the victim was only able to identify her name and that she did not know who had stabbed her. A person delivering newspapers told detectives that around 3:30 a.m. he had been in the area and had observed two younger Hispanic males spray painting a vehicle in the area, but he had not seen the victim, and it was not known if they were involved in the stabbing. The case is being investigated in partnership with the Glendale Police Department.  

- Leslie Good. In the evening of June 3, 2008, Goodyear police officers responded to a shooting at a residence in the area of North Litchfield Road and East Loma Linda Drive. Upon arrival, officers discovered 39-year-old Leslie Karen Good dead in her home from an apparent gunshot wound. The case is being investigated in partnership with the Goodyear Police Department. 

- Sabino Lopez. On the night of June 9, 2018, Tolleson police officers responded to a shooting call in the area of 91st Avenue and West Garfield Street. Upon arrival, responding officers discovered 21-year-old Sabino Lopez in the street bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound. She was treated and taken to a hospital where he later died. Officers learned he had been walking in the neighborhood when he was confronted by three males in a Silver-Colored SUV shortly before the shooting. The case is being investigated in partnership with the Tolleson Police Department. 

- Diana Shawcroft and Jennifer Lueth. They were last seen at a convenience store about 7 p.m. May 24, 1996. The cashier later saw a man pull up in a blue pickup truck. The girls talked to the driver, got in the truck and were driven away. Three months later in a remote area of Yavapai County - 100 miles north of Phoenix - human remains discovered were identified as the girls. Recently, new evidence has been discovered and will be analyzed. This case is being investigated in partnership with the Glendale Police Department. 

Anyone with information related to a cold case is urged to contact the Arizona Attorney General’s office or Silent Witness with information. Photos of victims are available here.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.