CHANDLER, Ariz. — A man convicted of murdering his aunt in Maricopa County five years ago was sentenced Thursday to 13 years in prison.
Ares Adle was found guilty of second-degree murder earlier this year for the death of his aunt, 42-year-old Tonya Harper. Harper was fatally stabbed at a Sun Lakes home during a family reunion in 2019.
Prosecutors revealed that the knife allegedly used in the killing was discovered hidden in Adle’s closet. At the time of the murder, Adle was just 14 years old.
During Thursday’s court proceedings, Adle delivered an emotional statement to the judge, expressing remorse for his actions.
“I never wanted to hurt anyone in the family,” he said. “I just made a mistake, and I couldn’t control it.”
While Adle faced a potential sentence of up to 25 years, the judge determined that mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating ones.
Judge Jeffrey Rueter noted that a key issue with the prosecution’s case was the argument that Adle’s actions were premeditated. Instead, Rueter suggested the crime seemed to stem from an impulsive act by a teenage boy who may have been dealing with mental health challenges.
Rueter emphasized that the sentence was not intended to diminish Harper’s life or the tragedy of her loss.