Former detective learns fate for wife’s murder

In June 2025, former domestic violence detective John Byrd finally learned how long he will spend behind bars in Arizona for the murder of his wife, Elizabeth Byrd. He killed her while their three young kids were home sleeping, then disappeared until he was caught later that day. But before he would learn his fate, drama unfolded in unexpected ways during the sentencing hearing, Elizabeth’s family pleaded with incredibly emotional words to the judge for the maximum sentence, and John Byrd stood up and addressed the court too -  the first time he’s spoken since taking his wife’s life.

Arizona’s Family journalists Briana Whitney and Serjio Hernandez take a deep dive into both unsolved and solved cases around Arizona — retracing steps, uncovering new evidence, and revealing new theories from those involved in the investigations.