A Phoenix woman called 911 on Easter Sunday to report a shooting. The phone was passed to the shooter, who then spoke to the 911 operator and admitted he shot his brother-in-law, and to emphasize the crime, while speaking to the 911 operator, he shot the victim once more.
Phoenix police report that Steven Lomax, Jr., was arrested for murdering his brother-in-law, Richard Swann. When officers arrested the 33-year-old suspect, he said, “I intended to kill my sister’s husband.”
Officers learned that once Lomax made the decision to kill Swann, he made sure no one would be in the home when the crime was committed. He told everyone to go for a walk, retrieved a gun from his bedroom, and then went into the victim’s bedroom and shot him multiple times.
According to court documents, Lomax shot Swann to prevent his brother-in-law from further abusing his sister. Lomax stated Swann had been “mentally and physically abusing his sister for years” and felt killing him was the only way to end the abuse.
Swann was found inside a home near 83rd Avenue and Indian School Road with multiple gunshot wounds. The critically injured man was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
The probable cause statement submitted by police reports that Lomax entered his brother-in-law’s bedroom with the intent to kill him. Because Lomax planned out the murder of his brother-in-law – a premeditated murder - he is now facing a first-degree murder charge.
Original story found here.
