Arizona Supreme Court upholds death sentence for Preston Strong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Arizona Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Preston Strong, convicted of six counts of first-degree murder for the 2005 killings of two adults and four children in Yuma.

The victims in this case are Luis Rios, Adrienne Heredia and her four children. The crimes are also known as the La Mesa murders.

The court's ruling rejected all nine of Strong's appeal claims, including allegations of juror misconduct and right to a fair trial.

Strong, who had a close friendship with Rios, had been facing financial difficulties and often borrowed money from the victim.

When Rios refused to lend more money, this lead to the murders at the East La Mesa residence on June 24, 2005.

Rios, Heredia and her children–ages six to 13–were found dead inside the home.

Strong's fingerprints were found at the scene, and his DNA was later discovered in Rios' car, which was abandoned near Sanguinetti Park.

It took nine years for Strong to be indicted. During that time, Strong was convicted in 2012 for the murder of a Yuma doctor. Strong was sentenced to natural life in prison.

In 2017, Strong was sentenced to death for the La Mesa murders after a jury cited aggravating factors, including the young age of the victims and his prior conviction.

He appealed his death sentence, claiming that the jurors were biased because they knew about his previous conviction.

However, the Supreme Court conducted an evidentiary hearing and determined that any knowledge the jurors had of his past conviction did not affect their decision, and thus, his death sentence was upheld.