In the early morning of January 14, 2009, authorities received a frantic call from a residence in the suburbs. Marissa Devault was on the line, urgently seeking help before the call abruptly ended. In a subsequent call, Devault inquired about the arrival of assistance and then reported being strangled.
This marked the first occasion where the mother of three, residing in Phoenix, Arizona, shared a formal narrative of the harrowing incident at her home. However, her recount of events changed multiple times. Upon responders’ arrival, Devault was in distress with blood on her head, while upstairs, her husband, Dale Harrell, was found naked on the bedroom floor with severe head injuries.
Devault initially claimed that Dale assaulted her in her sleep and that a tenant in their home, Stanley Cook Jr., intervened by striking Dale with a hammer. Despite Stanley initially admitting to the act, he later cited memory loss due to a past brain injury.
The crime scene evidence contradicted their accounts, revealing Dale was alone in bed during the attack, casting doubt on Devault’s version. Subsequent revelations and photos presented in court raised further questions about the events.
In a later interview, while Dale was in critical condition, Devault altered her narrative, confessing to using the hammer on him before Stanley intervened. She attributed her actions to allegations of sexual assault by her husband.
Dale succumbed to his injuries a month after the assault, following the decision to discontinue life support. Devault was subsequently charged with premeditated murder, with prosecutors pushing for the death penalty based on testimony from a witness involved in a secret affair with Devault.
During the trial, allegations of financial motives and a tumultuous family life emerged, leading to Devault’s conviction for first-degree murder. She received a life sentence in 2014, avoiding the death penalty after a deliberation period. At the sentencing, Devault expressed remorse for her actions and the pain inflicted on Dale’s family.