A state law enforcement official is at the center of a homicide case after Mesa police submitted charges Friday recommending that an Arizona Attorney General’s Office investigator be prosecuted for the fatal shooting of his neighbor last month.
Detectives identified Dulance Morin, a special investigator with the AG’s office, as the suspect in the February 28th death of Maria Lewis, a 32-year-old mother of seven. Mesa police forwarded the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, which will now determine whether to formally file charges and pursue prosecution.
Lewis was shot during an early morning walk near Kinetic Drive and Reliance Way in Mesa and was pronounced dead at the scene. Property records indicate she and Morin lived in close proximity to one another.
The investigation that followed involved multiple search warrants, extensive witness interviews and forensic analysis before detectives felt confident enough in their findings to move forward. Morin has been on administrative leave from the Attorney General’s Office since the shooting.
Mesa police acknowledged the community’s attention on the case in a statement Friday, noting that detectives worked carefully to ensure the investigation was thorough and accurate before drawing conclusions.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office now holds the next decision — whether the evidence warrants moving forward with a negligent homicide prosecution against a man whose professional life was built around investigating crimes for the state of Arizona.
