Authorities: Money, drugs, general dislike of others motives in slaying of 3 in Arizona

Officials discuss motives in slaying of 3 in Ariz.

ST. JOHNS, Ariz. — An Arizona man went on a vengeful killing spree over the last two years because he wanted to rid society of less-than-desirable people, including a drug-using Vietnam vet, a sex offender and a teenager struggling to kick a drug habit, prosecutors said Thursday.

William Inmon faces prison sentences of 25 years to life on each of three counts of first-degree murder.

Authorities said the 21-year-old’s killing spree started in April 2007 with 72-year-old William “Stoney” McCarragher, continued with 60-year-old Daniel Achten nearly two years later and ended with the death of teenager Ricky Flores in August.

Inmon, of Springerville, pleaded guilty to all three murders on Wednesday.

Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting said Thursday that Inmon’s overwhelming motive in the murders was that he wanted to rid society of less-than-desirable people. He told authorities he would have continued his vigilante killing spree had he not been caught.

Authorities said Thursday that money and guns also were motives.

“This is an animal that needs to be caged,” said county investigator Brian Hounshell. “He needs to be incarcerated for the rest of his life.”

Inmon’s attorney, Albert Lassen, said in a statement Thursday that his client agreed to cooperate with authorities only if the death penalty was taken off the table. Prosecutors agreed.

Inmon remained jailed without bail on Thursday, pending sentencing. The Apache County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press to interview Inmon.

McCarragher was the first of Inmon’s three known victims, but authorities say they are investigating whether Inmon was involved in at least two additional murders.

McCarragher lived on a small rural ranch outside of St. Johns and was known to carry large amounts of money, sometimes thousands of dollars.

Inmon, who was interviewed in 2007 as a potential suspect in McCarragher’s death, denied shooting him at the time and told authorities “the whole town is suspect because a lot of people did not care for Stoney.”

McCarragher often employed teenagers for odd jobs. Inmon recently told prosecutors that he was working on the man’s property in 2007 when McCarragher inappropriately touched him.

Inmon told authorities he talked with another person later that day in St. Johns who told him he had a similar experience with McCarragher. Inmon returned to McCarragher’s property at around midnight, woke him by kicking a wall then shot him through a window with a .22-caliber rifle, authorities said.

Inmon told investigators he didn’t want McCarragher to violate anyone else.

Achten, who had been missing for five months before his remains were discovered in a shallow grave on his rural property outside of St. Johns last week, was a Vietnam veteran who locals said couldn’t hear well. He was known to some as “Hummer Dan,” because he was constantly humming, Apache County sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Guinn said.

Inmon told authorities that Achten used drugs, shot Inmon’s dog and generally mistreated people, so he believed he had a duty to rid society of him.

Inmon confronted Achten about killing the dog, then became enraged when Achten denied the accusation, prosecutors said. Inmon told authorities he chased Achten toward a motor home, then shot him multiple times inside the home with a .22-caliber rifle.

Inmon was proud of committing the murders of Achten and McCarragher, but was remorseful about the death of Flores, authorities said.

Springerville Police Chief Steve West said Inmon initially claimed that Flores’ had threatened him with a firearm and he acted in self-defense. He eventually confessed and broke down in tears — one of only three moments when he showed real emotion, West said.

Inmon told authorities he wanted Flores to change his life, and authorities believe drugs were the issue.

Prosecutors allege that Inmon killed Flores at the urging of the father of Flores’ girlfriend, who along with Inmon’s girlfriend, is charged with murder in the case. The mother of Flores’ girlfriend also faces charges in Flores’ death.

Inmon told authorities he picked up Flores from his home in St. Johns in mid-August and the two argued about Flores’ drug use. Inmon then drove Flores to a rural property outside town where he chased him down and fired a single shot from a .12-gauge shotgun into his left ear, authorities said. Flores’ body, like Achten’s, later was found in a shallow grave.

The latest confessions are likely to further shake up the tiny town of St. Johns where violent killings had been rare. Last November, a then 8-year-old was charged with fatally shooting his father and his father’s roommate. He pleaded guilty to the roommate’s death and prosecutors dropped charges against him in his father’s death. The boy, now 9, is awaiting sentencing.