A man has been convicted for murdering his girlfriend in January 2021. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced the guilty verdict of Cecil Noyola for the murder of his girlfriend. According to Rachel Mitchell, “This defendant shot his girlfriend, left her to die, and then did everything possible to avoid being held accountable.”
The Phoenix Police Department responded to two calls requesting a welfare check on January 5, 2021. Police learned that the defendant had been acting erratically over the course of several days. When officers entered the apartment, they found Jessica Kennedy with a gunshot wound to the head. No weapon was recovered from the scene.
Noyola fled Arizona but turned himself into authorities in January 2021. He allegedly admitted to giving the gun to a friend. The gun was recovered when the friend was arrested. Noyola has been convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He will be sentenced at 11 a.m. on May 20, 2024.
Jay Skelton is an independent crime journalist with a passion for covering the uncovered and the under covered.