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Grand Jury Indicts Emilio Rivera in Killing of Avondale Teen

Prosecutors cite a ballistics match to a gun recovered from his home.

Overview

  • The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced grand-jury charges of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and criminal damage.
  • Police say 17-year-old Rhiana Kemplin was shot while sleeping in her bedroom and died later that day.
  • Investigators report a forensic match linking evidence from the scene to a firearm found at Rivera’s residence.
  • Court documents state Kemplin’s mother faced an intruder who aimed a gun and pulled the trigger, but the weapon jammed.
  • Rivera was arrested the day of the shooting on criminal-damage allegations tied to tire slashing and now remains held on a $1 million cash-only bond with a tentative July 2026 trial date.