AZ - Michael & Tina Careccia, Maricopa, 22 Jun 2015 - *Media, Maps & Timelines Only*

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Please post all MSM links, law enforcement press releases, maps and timelines in this thread. Thanks.

Michael and Tina Careccia
635710039230220635-couple.jpg


Tina and Michael Careccia reported missing; couple's vehicle found near Maricopa

June 23, 2015
MARICOPA, Ariz. - Authorities are looking for a couple that was reported missing Monday after their abandoned vehicle was found and they didn't show up for work. According to Pinal County Sheriff's Office, Michael and Tina Careccia were reported missing by a family member around 7:15 Monday night.

The pair reportedly left for work from their Maricopa residence around 5 a.m., but never arrived. About three hours after they were reported missing, their 2008 Honda Accord was found near North Ralston and West Papago roads.

Thanks to steelman for this case map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?usp=sharing&mid=zAAmDUXJe_aE.kU0N9GRL6xI8

Help us find Tina and Mike
https://www.facebook.com/Maricopafindmikeandtina

Discussion threads: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/tags.php?tag=michael+careccia
 
Search continues for missing Maricopa couple
June 23, 2015
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news...maricopa-couple-missing-search-abrk/29163297/
Interested volunteers were asked to meet at Raceway Bar and Grill, which served as a kind command post, and were sent out from there. One organizer said the restaurant meetup helped search leaders keep track of everyone involved.

More than 100 people on dirt bikes, ATVs and in four-wheel drives searched near Ralston Wash and covered about a 20-mile area between Interstate 8 and State Route 238.

The search ended at about 10 p.m. Tuesday and was expected to resume at 5 a.m. Wednesday at Raceway Bar and Grill, 49237 W. Papago Road, Maricopa.

Authorities search for missing Maricopa couple
Posted: Jun 24, 2015 9:40 AM CST Updated: Jun 24, 2015 10:01 PM CST
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/29396851/authorities-search-for-missing-maricopa-couple
Family members say the couple left the home around 5 a.m. Monday, but Tina Careccia never arrived at her job at a Chandler construction company.

Michael Careccia is unemployed.

Tina Careccia's daughter, Blayke Perry, told KNXV-TV in Phoenix that her mother and stepfather wed last year and are devoted parents.
 
Friends, family comb desert for missing Maricopa couple
5:38 p.m. MST June 24, 2015
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news...sing-maricopa-couple-continues-abrk/29233519/
A volunteer search group of friends, family and community members have been scaling stretches of desert on foot, by vehicle, and now by air with the use of drones, in an effort to find Michael and Tina Careccia.
<snip>
Pinal County sheriff's deputies have been combing the area as well, utilizing ATVs and a helicopter.
Early Wednesday afternoon, neighbors, friends and family gathered on the restaurant's patio with maps and markers to determine where to look next while waiting for search groups to return with news. The volunteers have been combing a 20-mile area between Interstate 8 and State Route 238.
When asked where he planned to search next, Luke said, "Everywhere. We're combing every inch of land."
He last saw his dad and stepmother on Sunday night, when they said goodnight to him and his cousin.
Search continues for missing Pinal County couple
6:47 p.m. MST June 24, 2015
http://www.12news.com/story/news/local/valley/2015/06/24/community-searches-for-couple/29243077/
Even complete strangers stepped forward in triple-digit heat to help as part of a huge response from a small community in a time of need.

"We can get to places that cars and trucks can't get to," said KH, one of the many volunteer searchers. "We'll definitely be back out tomorrow."

Back tomorrow to continue to fill in the blanks until the high school sweethearts are home with their family again.

"We're not going to stop until we know that they're home or we have an answer," Lever said. "There is nothing that's going to stop up."

Search organizers say almost 200 people have helped in the search.

A private pilot offered to use his helicopter Wednesday evening to help find any clues.

NANCY GRACE
Couple Goes Missing on Morning Commute.
Aired 8-9:00p ET Aired June 24, 2015 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1506/24/ng.01.html
 
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=854485841287661&id=151161388286780
Pinal County Sheriff's Office

June 25 at 11:07am ·

Missing Maricopa couple, Michael and Tina Careccia were reported missing to PCSO at 7 p.m. on June 22 and have not been heard from since. As of this writing, we do not know if Michael and Tina have disappeared under their own volition or at the hand of someone else. We continue to search for clues that will help us locate them.

We want to clear up some misinformation that is going around on social and traditional media sources.

First, some have noticed a that the Mesa bank robbery suspect from earlier this week bears a resemblance to Tina. We have confirmed that Tina is not the person seen in the surveillance photo of the Mesa bank robbery suspect. We appreciate the community's vigilance in helping find her, but that isn't her.

Also, on Tuesday evening, #&#8206;ABC15&#8236; news reported that "The FBI is now involved in the case". This is not true. Since this report, the error has been repeated over social media and is causing unnecessary confusion among those following the case. We want to assure the public that PCSO is using all available resources to help find out what happened to Michael and Tina. We have not yet, however, had reason to get the FBI involved in the search.

We want to thank the community that is helping us search for Michael and Tina. We know that people are actively searching the desert for any signs of them and encourage calls from the searchers if anything is found. PCSO has searched with air, ground and K9 resources soon after the report was filed, but found no signs that the couple is lost in the desert. PCSO resources are dedicated to actual ground searches when we get a specific tip that points us to a location to search, and we have done so since Monday when they were reported missing. We have had tips come in, but unfortunately, they have not lead to locating the missing couple.

If anybody has any information about their whereabouts they are asked to contact the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office at 520-866-5111.
 
911 call made on June 22, 2015 - https://soundcloud.com/azcentral-com/missing-couple

Private Investigator suspects foul play in missing couple case
9:12 a.m. MST June 27, 2015
http://www.12news.com/story/news/lo...ate-investigator-suspects-foul-play/29383027/
Williams says Michael was known to be meticulous and the dusty car is inconsistent with his habit of such cleanliness.

Geoff Dugan spoke with reporters Friday and said, "We think about different things all the time we just don't know what happened."

But Williams says the likelihood of the missing couple staging their own disappearance and not wanting to be found is not reasonable.

"For Tina to walk away and shut down communication with everybody is not logical."

The couple were high school sweethearts, had recently reunited and married. Both, in previous marriages both have children from those respective marriages.

Pinal County Sheriff's Office
June 26 at 3:32pm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinal-County-Sheriffs-Office/151161388286780?fref=nf

"We want to make sure that we continue to inform the public as to the status of the missing persons case of Tina and Michael Careccia. We unfortunately do not have any substantial updates to share with the public today.

Our search and rescues personnel have been in the area since the family reported the couple missing on Monday evening. They are currently being used to follow up on tips that are coming in that lead us to an area to search. Yesterday, they went door-to-door with flyers asking neighbors if there was any information they had that could help with the investigation.
We want to again thank the community for their willingness to get involved in helping locate Mike and Tina and help PCSO determine what happened to them.

The investigation is proceeding on many fronts right now. Most of it is behind the scenes work that is not apparent to the public. We encourage anyone who has information to share with the investigators to call PCSO or Silent Witness. Silent Witness is offering up to $1000 for information that will help us solve the case."
 
RAW: Family of missing Pinal County couple holds news conference
Posted: Jul 01, 2015 9:46 PM CST
Broadcast Live: Jul 01, 2015 3:00 PM MT
Video: http://www.kpho.com/clip/11647551/raw-family-of-missing-pinal-county-couple-holds-news-conference

Family, of the Pinal County couple who disappeared more than a week ago, spoke at a news conference Wednesday.
Thanks to Purplepixii for the following narrative:
Nothing prepared, taking questions:
1) How is family after "foul play" suggestion? A. We knew this since day 1, otherwise they&#8217;d be here with us now, now case is being elevated we might get more answers. Family going through rollercoaster of emotions. Hope, disappointment. Keeping busy to do what they can to help sheriff.
2) Now it's a criminal investigation does that diminish hopes of finding M&T alive? A. We knew there was foul play from the get-go, there&#8217;s no reason they wouldn't come home or contact us. Not the kind of people to disappear.
3) Is the family frustrated with police effort? Yes, they wont give us much information, share more with us, it&#8217;s understandable but we realise it's the nature of the investigation
4) We hope they found something in the car. House hasn't been thoroughly searched although officers have been in their room. Happy to let them do what they need to do to get them found.
5) Any theories you want to support or dispel? Nothing makes sense, they all come up with scenarios late in the evening. Geoff wasn't happy to say what he thinks when asked by a reporter
6) Proximity of house to drug route - is that part of your thinking? Yes, it's a possibility, not fun to think about, there is a lot of traffic through valley, illegal activity, lot of bad people around here. Nothing M&T would do to bring them into contact with these people.
7) 2 sides of family (Tina&#8217;s side & Mike&#8217;s side) - is that a problem in the house? No we are in constant contact with Tina's siblings (who are in Mesa). I try to keep them updated.
8) Tina&#8217;s brother wants to significantly increase the reward &#8211; are you supportive of that? We&#8217;ve been advised not to increase reward significantly in case the situation is a kidnapping or ransom &#8211; it may delay their return. The advice not to increase the reward comes from "some private investigators & some other people that we know". No reason to believe it is or isn't a kidnapping.
9) Was it typical of Tina to leave for work that early in the morning? No, Tina actually works for Tom across the street, she was running an errand for him that morning (Monday) to Mesa. It was a &#8220;special deal&#8221; she doesn&#8217;t usually go out to Mesa every day.
10) Tina's purse is up in the room. The item she was supposed to deliver for Tom in Mesa was still in her purse (!!!) We don't think she left the house.
11) So that&#8217;s very suspicious then &#8211; the fact she left the house without her purse and something she was supposed to deliver. Correct, yes.
12) Where do you think Michael was? Was he with her? He was likely to be with her, they were supposed to leave together in the morning on Monday.
13) So that was the plan? So right off the bat something wasn&#8217;t right as her purse was there? Yes.
14) Does Michael work, is he currently employed? Mike is on long-term disability, he&#8217;s a commercial airline pilot, so he didn&#8217;t have a place he needed to go every day
15) How has the (unintelligible) in Maricopa helped in the past few days? I have such a long list of thank you&#8217;s we&#8217;d be here all night. This is a great community, hundreds of people combing desert in extreme heat, donating supplies, touching that community has come together
16) Sunday night activity &#8211; what was going on? Anyone suspicious? Any arguments? All gathered for Father's Day, nothing suspicious, it&#8217;s another part of the mystery, people present were well-known to the family
17) PI mentioned Tina came into inheritance. Don&#8217;t think it was that much, mum just passed, they were going to use it on a down payment on a mobile home on the lot next door
18) 2 families live on the lot, referred to it as a "compound", plus grandmother lives in the guesthouse, we&#8217;re always together, a really close family.
19) Anything in the past few days to sound an alarm? Anything suspicious? No
20) They had mentioned they were going to leave early but no-one saw them leave so when & who was last to see T&M Sunday night? One of the family, probably in the kitchen, he'd gone to bed at 22:30, doesn't know who saw them last, they just weren&#8217;t there in the morning.
21) In terms of a timetable Sunday night was the last time someone saw Tina & Mike well. This idea of them leaving Monday is speculative? Yes, they could have left earlier
22) PI was hired by Tina's brother - he's made some "disparaging suppositions about might what might have happened" and we don't like the light he is trying to cast
23) Are you concerned that as Sheriff says it is foul play that search efforts will suffer? Search will continue, we have covered vast amounts of desert, still have things to checkout & areas to re-check
24) Not going into the valley as it's a "dangerous area" - border patrol & county sheriff searching there
25) What is your gut feeling? Not sure, maybe they were in "the wrong place at the wrong time"
26) Private investigators approached us but have not hired any more
27) We have lived in same house with them for 2 years, don't think drugs have anything to do with it
28) Do you have any idea what the Sheriff is going to say at his 7am press conference Friday morning? No, I wasn&#8217;t aware of it but I will be tuning in
29) Bottom line Geoff? Lets get the Sheriffs in gear, get going, get answers, get them home
30) The shift from a missing persons case to a criminal Investigation &#8211; this comes as no surprise to you? No, not at all, it comes with a bit of excitement and we&#8217;re happy &#8211; we hope it expedites the case [/COLOR]
31) No-one living in the area that makes him fearful from saying anything beneficial to the investigation.
32) On Father's Day was there someone particularly interested in Mike&#8217;s skills as a commercial pilot? There was a friend of ours, friend of my father&#8217;s there - José Valenzuela &#8211; he expressed an interest, but that&#8217;s about all I know. A personal conversation. Not sure what they were talking about.
33) (very muffled / quiet female questioner) Do you know what Mike&#8230;party&#8230;.Sunday night&#8230;another property? I don&#8217;t know, I know it wasn&#8217;t the Crabtrees as we&#8217;ve spoken to them.
34) Has anyone been subject to a lie detector test? Not that I know of
35) Is everyone (family, close contacts, friends) being truthful & co-operative? Everyone in this house is, don't know who else they have interviewed

 
[video=twitter;616377369604026369]https://twitter.com/abc15/status/616377369604026369[/video]
Fox 10 Phoenix News Now
July 1, 2015
Segment with the aerials of the search warrant execution area begins at 1hr 54 min
https://youtu.be/jKFIQCo9xcI?t=1h54m9s

Mike and Tina Careccia update: Authorities question person of interest in case of missing couple
3:53 PM, Jul 1, 2015 11:06 PM, Jul 1, 2015
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...ng-search-warrant-tied-to-missing-couple-case
MARICOPA, AZ - Deputies are interviewing a male person of interest in the case of a missing Maricopa couple, according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the Pinal County Sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at a house in the area of Papago and Brewer roads, near the home of Mike and Tina Careccia.

Deputies were seen using a backhoe to dig outside the property around 10 p.m.

CI4y9BMWIAAPh7M.jpg

https://twitter.com/abc15/status/616487112079228928/photo/1
 
FNN: Everything We've Learned Today About Missing Maricopa Couple Michael and Tina Careccia
Streamed live on Jul 1, 2015
https://youtu.be/USpoVw0QDpI
2.5 hour recording streamed live on Jul 1, 2015
Everything We've Learned Today About Missing Maricopa Couple Michael and Tina Careccia. Interview with Private Investigator Stan Williams. Press Conference from the family. Live coverage of detectives digging suspicious hole on property.

Mike and Tina Careccia update: Suspect charged with 2 counts of murder in missing couple case
Associated Press, abc15.com staff
4:19 AM, Jul 2, 2015 Updated 4 hours ago
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...found-at-maricopa-home-man-arrested-says-pcso
MARICOPA, AZ - A man is facing two counts of murder after a local couple was found shot and buried at his Maricopa property.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said in a statement early Thursday that the bodies of a man and a woman recovered at a property on West Papago Road are believed to be Mike and Tina Careccia. The couple has been missing since June 22.

PCSO: Maricopa couple were shot, man held on $2 million bond in murders
5:35 p.m. MST July 2, 2015
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news...sing-maricopa-couple-search-warrant/29591819/
In the past week, a search party of more than 40 members combed through miles of farms and rural wasteland in Pinal County for Mike and Tina Careccia, but in the end, investigators said it was one man who led detectives to the missing couple — in a 6-foot grave just steps away from his back door.

Jose Valenzuela is being held on a $2 million bond and could face two first-degree murder charges in the Careccias' deaths, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu announced Thursday morning.

Valenzuela, a friend of the couple who lived just blocks from their home, reportedly confessed to deputies Wednesday.
 
Authorities: Suspect said he was on meth during killings
Posted: Jul 02, 2015 9:33 AM CST Updated: Jul 02, 2015 6:45 PM CST
http://www.azfamily.com/story/29461661/bodies-found-believed-to-be-missing-phoenix-area-couple
FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) -- A missing Phoenix-area couple were killed and buried in the yard of a man who told investigators he was high on methamphetamine at the time, authorities said Thursday.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said Jose Valenzuela, 38, acknowledged killing Michael Careccia, 44, and his wife, Tina, 42.
"Essentially he confessed," Babeu said at a news conference.
Valenzuela has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is being held on a $2 million cash bond.
RELATED: Probable cause statement in arrest of Jose Valenzuela (PDF file)
 

Employee 'admits' murdering couple who vanished on their way home from work and burying them in his backyard 'while high on meth'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ng-Phoenix-area-couple-vanished-week-ago.html
During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu told reporters that when questioned by police, Valenzuela 'essentially confessed' to the murders, recounting for the officers how he shot the husband and wife with a .22-caliber handgun and then borrowed a backhoe to bury their bodies behind his house.

Deputies were able to recover the suspected murder weapon while executing a search warrant at Valenzuela’s house Wednesday.

According to the sheriff, Valenzuela was high on methamphetamine when he dug out a 6-foot-deep grave on his property in the 5000 block of West Papago Road and interred the bodies.
 
Maricopa couple's family denies drug use
July 3, 2015
http://www.12news.com/story/news/lo...couple-family-statement-on-drug-use/29684761/

A statement released by the family of Michael and Tina Careccia Friday called the accused killer a bald-faced liar for saying that he had killed the couple after a night of doing methamphetamine with them.
The family's theory is that Mike and Tina went to Valenzuela's house the night of the killing to see what Valenzuela knew.

The statement not only denies drug use by the couple or anyone else in the family, but they sent out pictures they say show the couple never demonstrated any signs of use.

Full text of family statement at link and posted here:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-June-2015-3-*ARREST*&p=11900949#post11900949
 
Double murder suspect has lengthy criminal record
10:35 p.m. MST July 2, 2015
http://www.12news.com/story/news/20...murders-has-lenghty-criminal-record/29657741/

On July 1, Jose Ignacio Valenzuela Jr., 38, admitted his role in the slayings to a Pinal County Sheriff's Office investigator over the phone, according to court documents.
READ: Full police report
Valenzuela refused to come in for an interview with detectives. Records also reveal Valenzuela threatened to commit suicide with the murder weapon.

attached 7 page pdf.
 

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