A Maricopa County judge has sentenced James Morris, 49, to four life terms plus an additional 20 years in prison for a violent sexual assault that took place at Civic Center Park in Scottsdale in July 2023.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Morris approached a 19-year-old woman and her 16-year-old boyfriend late at night while they were sitting on a park bench. Prosecutors said he accused the woman of owing him money, then threatened the couple before sexually assaulting her while forcing the boyfriend to watch. Before leaving, Morris also stole the victim’s jewelry.
Police identified Morris through previous encounters and arrested him the same day. Investigators said he was still wearing clothing stained with the victim’s blood, and DNA evidence later confirmed his involvement.
A jury found Morris guilty of four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual abuse, and one count of robbery. He was also sentenced to a separate life term for a Glendale park stabbing that occurred one month earlier, a crime for which he was convicted of aggravated assault. The victim in that attack survived.
“This defendant preyed on young, vulnerable victims who will have to live with this trauma for the rest of their lives,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, crediting the Scottsdale and Glendale police departments as well as county prosecutors for their work. “Our community is safer because he will never walk free again.”
