Just as the Verde Valley was dealing with the violence in Cottonwood between an eight-member Idaho family and eight police officers, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an apparent homicide in Rimrock.
YCSO began searching for the victim’s husband, calling him a “person of interest” in the homicide and asking him to contact law enforcement. According to YCSO, the husband turned himself in, reportedly admitted involvement and is now being called a suspect. The case will head to the courts.
If only all such cases appeared to be so open-and-shut.
In the Cottonwood brawl that left a cop and two suspects shot, one of whom died, the details are far fuzzier. According the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Gaver family involved has not been forthcoming with information and reportedly refused to cooperate with police in revealing even their names.
During the brawl, at least three shots were fired, though DPS has not said who shot whom nor who shot first nor whose gun or guns discharged the rounds. The crime scene in the big box store parking lot was littered with evidence tags and the body of the young man who was killed remained on scene for more than nine hours as detectives tried to piece together how what should have been a routine investigation and possible arrest for an alleged assault led to a bloody melee that sent two to the hospital and one to the morgue.
After we discovered the family had a connection to Boise, we began sharing information with our colleagues Anna Webb, Kris Rodine and Nate Poppino at The Idaho Statesman, providing them and their readers with details about the Cottonwood case while they provide us with information for our readers about what happened to the family prior to leaving Idaho.
In searching through the Gaver family’s social media posts, we discovered a deeply religious family struggling with homelessness, poverty and medical conditions who had somehow lost the large trailer they called home and found themselves sharing the cramped spaces of a single Chevrolet Suburban.
Although they appeared to believe the End Times were nigh, the prospect of violence did not appear to play a part in their lives. So until the investigation concludes, it will be hard for detectives and the general public to discover how an altercation inside the store devolved into an outdoor brawl and left one of their number dead, a cop shot and wounded and the entire family, including two juveniles, under arrest on a host of charges.
The past two weeks have shown that violence is inescapable, even in our relatively quiet communities. Rather than turn inward, lock our doors and fear neighbors and strangers alike, we should do our best to offer counseling if we suspect domestic disputes, provide food and opportunities to our poor and volunteer our time, energy and wealth to help our less fortunate.
