David De Nitto, the widower of former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, has been identified as the suspect in a Christmas Eve shooting that left two women dead, Phoenix police said.

Authorities said information indicates that after the women were slain, De Nitto, 47, killed himself.

The shooting occurred just before 11:30 p.m. Dec. 24. Officers responded to find two women with gunshot wounds. Cynthia Domini, 83, and Maryalice Cash, 47, were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. De Nitto was found dead inside the home with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Homicide detectives said early information indicates Cash and De Nitto were in a relationship. There was a holiday gathering at the home, and an altercation occurred before the shooting.

Details about what led up to the incident remain part of the ongoing investigation, police said.

Adel was appointed Maricopa County Attorney in 2019, serving through March 2022. She replaced Bill Montgomery who was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court.

She died on April 30, 2022, from “health complications,” her family said.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell reacted Monday to the Christmas Eve shooting:

“It is impossible to comprehend a tragedy such as this. Words cannot adequately express the flood of sorrow. I ask the community to join me in praying for the families affected and, most especially, Allister’s children. I also ask that the community surround the families with love, kindness, and a respect for the need for privacy.”

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