INMATE 184113 - ANTHONY, DAVID L.

David Anthony married Donna Romero on April 15, 1997. He had been living in her home prior to the marriage with Donna and her two children, Danielle and Richard. On July 7, 2001, Donna and her two children were to travel by plane to Ohio to visit her relatives. However, they never checked in for the flight. The last person to see Donna and her children alive was Anthony, who claimed that they left the house early that morning. Police investigators found blood traceable to Donna, Danielle and Richard in and around the home, including the master bedroom wall, a concrete slab under the carpet of the office, the doorframe of Danielle's bedroom, Danielle's bed, Richard's bed, and on the bed-liner of Donna's pickup truck.

In interviews with police and statements to the media, Anthony claimed he and Donna had a very good marriage, that he was faithful to her and that he loved her children and treated them as his own. In fact, Anthony had engaged in inappropriate conduct with other women, had expressed dissatisfaction with his marriage and his wife, had expressed hatred towards his two stepchildren, and had engaged in financial misconduct surrounding the joint business he and Donna operated. In the months leading up to the deaths of Donna and her two children, Anthony transferred large sums of money from their joint account into a private account, purchased vehicles, made statements to others that he "was going to get rid of" Donna, referred to Danielle and Richard as "those ******* kids", and violently assaulted Donna.

UPDATE: On October 18, 2005, the skeletal remains of Donna Anthony and her two children, Danielle and Richard Romero, were found in three 55-gallon drums buried beneath a Buckeye, Arizona construction site.   

PROCEEDINGS

Presiding Judge: Hon. Frank T. Galati
Prosecutor: Vince Imbordino & John Boyle
Defense Counsel: Robert Doyle & Herman Alcantar
Start of Trial: February 12, 2002
Verdict: April 1, 2002
Sentencing: March 10, 2004

Aggravating Circumstances
Pecuniary gain
Multiple homicides
Age of victims (both under 15)


PUBLISHED OPINIONS
[Direct Appeal pending before the Arizona Supreme Court]