Dale Hausner and Samuel Dieteman were a duo of

serial killers A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

spree killers A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders or homicides in a short time, in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations wit ...

arsonists Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, water ...

and thrill killers who committed several

drive-by shooting A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...

s and

arsons Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, water ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, between May 2005 and August 2006. They targeted random pedestrians and animals, mostly doing so while under the influence of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

, and also set fire to multiple objects. Investigations of their crimes coincided with the search for the Baseline Killer, who was also committing random murders and

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

s in the Phoenix area. After being found guilty of 80 of 88 felony charges in one single trial including murder, attempted murder, arson, animal cruelty and drive-by-shootings, Hausner was sentenced to death 6 times, and later committed suicide in prison. Dieteman was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Investigators believe they were responsible for eight murders and at least 29 other shootings. Hausner's brother Jeff had assisted in some of the shootings, and he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Crimes

In addition to several dozen non-fatal shootings of people and fatal shootings of animals, Hausner and Dieteman were found guilty of the following murders: David Estrada (20) shot to death on June 29, 2005 in

Tolleson, Arizona Tolleson is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the city was 7,216 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 6,545 in 2010. History ...

. Nathaniel Shoffner (44) murdered on November 11, 2005 while attempting to protect a dog from being shot. Jose Ortiz (44) and Marco Carillo (28) were murdered on December 29, 2005. Claudia Gutierrez-Cruz (20) shot and killed by Dieteman on May 2, 2006, as Hausner drove in

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

. The serial shooters' last crime occurred July 30, 2006 in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

. According to police, Robin Blasnek (22) was shot and killed at approximately 11:15 p.m. while walking from her parents' house to a friend's house after having an argument with her boyfriend. On August 3, Phoenix police released a statement linking Blasnek's murder to the serial shooter, citing forensic evidence and other similarities to the serial shooter's past crimes. Prior to that, they shot pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, and horses. Phoenix police originally believed that the serial shooter was a single individual responsible for 4 murders and 25 shootings beginning in May 2005, and that a series of 13 shootings in the same area were the work of another offender. However, on July 11, 2006, investigators revealed that they believed the two series of shootings were related.

Perpetrators

* Dale Shawn Hausner, 33, had worked as a custodian at

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a civil–military public airport east of downtown Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest and busiest airport, and among the largest commercial airports in th ...

since 1999 as well as a

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

photojournalist for RingSports and Fightnews.com. * Samuel John Dieteman, 31, had a history of petty crimes such as shoplifting and drunk driving and had returned to Arizona a few years prior from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Capture

Tips identified Hausner and Dieteman as suspects on July 31, 2006. The most important tip came from Ron Horton, a friend of Dieteman, who said Dieteman had confessed to involvement in the shootings while drinking. Horton was at first uncertain whether Dieteman's confession was serious, but went to police after the shooting death of Robin Blasnek, which he said "affected me quite a bit" due to a belief Horton might have prevented her death had he contacted police earlier. On August 3, 2006, police arrested both suspects outside of their apartment in Mesa. On the morning of August 4, 2006, Phoenix police announced that two arrests had been made in connection with the serial shooter. Authorities said they also linked Hausner and Dieteman to two arson fires at

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

stores on June 8 in

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...

, started 45 minutes apart from each other that caused approximately $7 to $10 million in damages. A few weeks prior to his capture, Hausner interviewed former Heavyweight boxing champion

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...

as part of his sports journalism job. Police questioned Tyson regarding his brief meeting with Hausner, and the boxer later described Hausner as "...a small guy, but a nice guy."

Trial

Hausner was charged with 88 crimes in 5 different indictments attributed to the serial shooter investigation, including 8 murders, 18 attempted murders, 17

aggravated assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

s, 26

s, 4 firearms charges, 10 cruelty to animals charges and 2 arson of an occupied structure charges. Hausner was convicted on 6 of 8 murders, and 80 charges overall on March 13, 2009. Hausner's former roommate, Samuel Dieteman, has pleaded guilty to two murders, plus

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...

to commit some of the other related murders. Dieteman received a sentence of life without parole. On March 27, 2009, Hausner was sentenced to six

death sentences Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. Hausner had instructed his attorneys not to oppose a death sentence, saying his execution would help the victims' families heal. After a mandatory appeal, Hausner waived further appeals and requested to be put to death "as soon as possible." During Hausner's half-hour statement to the jury before sentencing, he apologized to several people including his family and compared himself to

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...

. On June 19, 2013, Hausner was found unresponsive in his cell and died later that day. His autopsy revealed no physical trauma. The medical examiner determined that he had killed himself with an overdose of an

anti-depressant Antidepressants are a class of medication used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain conditions, and to help manage addictions. Common side-effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, heada ...

Suspected victims

Although Hausner was convicted for murdering six people, he is suspected to have killed two more people in 2005: Tony Mendez (39) was shot to death on May 17, 2005. Reginald Remillard (56) was shot to death on May 24, 2005.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Timeline of Serial Shooter Crimes – Shootings, Animal Shootings, and Homicides
2005 in Arizona 2005 murders in the United States 2006 in Arizona 2006 murders in the United States 2000s in Phoenix, Arizona 21st-century American criminals American male criminals American serial killers Criminal duos Drive-by shootings Male serial killers Murder in Arizona