According to the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, Hunter Blair Stanfield was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the October 2022 homicides in Whispering Pines. Sheriff J. Adam Shepherd said his office learned about the deaths of Chase J. Stanfield, 39, and Gail M. Stanfield, 50, after receiving a 911 call on Oct. 27.
The sheriff’s office did not specify how the victims were killed, but Fox News reported that they were shot to death. After an hour of questioning, authorities allegedly arrested the defendant.
A search of Arizona court records by Law&Crime reveals that several search warrants were executed in the weeks and months following the killings. Shepherd stated that the charges were brought as a result of the entire investigation.
“Sheriff Shepherd would like to thank the Gila County Attorney’s Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety for their coordinated efforts in this investigation,” the sheriff said. “I am thankful to the Detectives that have worked this case non-stop to follow all leads, collect and evaluate all evidence.”
“This was a time-consuming investigation and the detective’s dedication to the community and justice should be commended,” he added.
An obituary for the Stanfields from October said that they “passed away suddenly.”
“Chase and Gail are survived by their children,” “their parents,” “grandparents, “extended family,” and many friends, the obit said.
Following the shooting, many “devastated” friends and family members paid tribute to Gail and Chase on her Facebook page.
“I’m completely and utterly devastated at this news. I can’t even imagine what the family must be going through,” a friend named Kelly posted two days after the shooting. “My heart is broken that this could happen to two of the most positive people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. God Bless their souls and the family.”
“You still did it mom. I wish I could hug you and tell you in person how proud we all are of you but I know you can hear,” Gail Stanfield’s daughter Ashley posted in December, sharing a posthumous degree her mom received from Grand Canyon University. Gail Stanfield’s Facebook page said that she was pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology-Applied Behavioral Analysis.
“Mom, Not a single moment goes by that I don’t miss you and chase. My heart breaks every day the moment I open my eyes and the reality hits like a wave again and again,” Ashley posted in February. “I miss our daily conversations. I miss yours and chases hugs. There’s so many great things happening I wish I could tell you about. I miss you. I love you.”
Gail announced in June 2018 that she and Chase were “getting hitched,” and they married in October of that year.
Gail tagged her husband on Facebook two days before the shooting and shared her most recent post: A viral video of NFL players mic’d up but speaking in children’s voices.
