Nephew sentenced to prison for murdering aunt in East Valley

CHANDLER, Ariz. — The man convicted of murdering his aunt five years ago in Maricopa County was sentenced Thursday to 13 years in prison. 

Ares Adle was found guilty of second-degree murder earlier this year after he went on trial for the death of his aunt, 42-year-old Tonya Harper. The victim was stabbed to death at a Sun Lakes home during a family reunion in 2019.

Prosecutors said the knife allegedly used to kill Harper was found hidden in Adle’s closet. The defendant was only 14 at the time of the murder.

During Thursday’s court hearing, Adle made an emotional statement to the judge about his actions.

“I never wanted to hurt anyone in the family,” the defendant said. “I just made a mistake and I couldn’t control it.”

The defendant was facing up to 25 years in prison but the judge determined the case’s mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating ones.

Judge Jeffrey Rueter said a problem with the state’s case was the notion that Adle’s violent act was methodically planned. When in actuality, the only explanation is that the crime appeared to be an impulsive act committed by a teenage boy with possible mental health issues, the judge said.

Rueter added any length of sentence given to Adle is not meant to disrespect Harper or the value of her life.

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