Chase Christman Pleads Guilty to Ahwatukee Triple Homicide, Receives Three Consecutive Life Sentences
Prosecutors relied on text message evidence to connect him to a drug-fueled robbery attempt that ended in the stabbing or shooting deaths of three people
Overview
- Christman pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, to three counts of murder, armed robbery and misconduct involving weapons and was sentenced to three consecutive natural life terms
- In July 2024, Phoenix firefighters responding to smoke in an Ahwatukee apartment discovered the bodies of Merissa Honecutt, Samuel Lott and Anthony Frederickson Ceccarelli
- Prosecutors said one victim had been stabbed about 30 times while the other two victims were fatally shot
- Court documents indicate Christman and 53-year-old Dorian Michael Rice plotted a drug-related robbery, with Rice allegedly driving Christman to and from the scene; Rice remains charged and awaits trial
- Investigators used text messages to show Christman negotiated a drug deal with one victim and owed another $540, and they allege he tried to destroy evidence by setting the apartment on fire