Woman found dead in San Tan Valley; son charged with murder: PCSO

SAN TAN VALLEY, Arizona – The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a woman’s body was found in San Tan Valley on October 30.

The victim was found on a farm west of Gantzel Road and south of Skyline Drive, according to the statement. Officials said the body was first found by a jogger around 9 a.m., dumped in an open field and behind piles of dirt.

About 10 minutes later, officials said another 911 call came in. They say the caller, identified as the victim’s son, reported that his mother had been kidnapped. However, by that time deputies had already reached her body.

The victim has been identified as 38-year-old Mary Collier, and authorities say the cause of death was likely blunt force trauma.

As for the suspect, authorities say he is 18 years old, but have not released his name. They found him at home with self-inflicted wounds, which were likely caused by a sharp object.

The suspect was taken to the hospital.

Despite earlier reports to PCSO that the woman had allegedly been abducted, they now say there was no abduction.

The PCSO says the trouble started with some sort of verbal altercation on Tuesday night, but the assault appears to have happened at some point on Wednesday morning.

The victim lived with her husband, the suspect, and at least one other child.

According to the investigation, the suspect will receive a protocol when he is discharged from the hospital. As of Wednesday afternoon, the motive was unknown.

“I knew it was a crime scene”

The morning run took a horrific turn when James Ritchie came across Collier’s body.

“Are you so upset that you want to go kill someone? Kill your mother? Is that what you think? I just don’t understand,” he said. “He was bloody. I think I saw some puncture wounds on her shoulders and stuff. I didn’t get too close because as soon as I saw the knife, I knew it was a crime scene.”

The neighbor, who asked not to be named, said the family was keeping aloof.

It is reported that a neighbor saw the suspect apparently after the murder.

“I was outside with my dog ​​and I saw the gentleman in question coming across the field towards the house and then about an hour later my wife told me there were police everywhere. I didn’t see anything. He wasn’t behaving strangely, he was just going back to his house,” the neighbor said.

Kathy Burak, whose son lives down the street from the family, said hearing the news as a mother and grandmother was troubling.

“Shocked. Devastated We came home from the shops and saw four police cars there and we didn’t know what had happened. I was just taking my granddaughter for a walk and I just found out,” Burak said.