Robert Alan McGrath, 60, received two life sentences and additional years in Maricopa County Superior Court during sentencing Nov. 4 for the murder of his wife, Marcia McGrath, 53, and mother-in-law, Thea Merlino, 77, at their Sun City home June 25.
He plead guilty in October to two counts of first degree premeditated murder resulting in two life sentences and 7.5 years each on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, for a total of 15 years. The plea deal dropped two counts of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of robbery with a deadly weapon, one count of first degree burglary and one count of tampering with physical evidence to destroy or alter.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded around 3 a.m. June 25 to calls reporting a shooting on the 13600 block of N. Newcastle Drive, near 111th and Grand avenues, according to the MCSO release.
