Dave Dinkins, 25, has started a 42-year prison sentence in the 2023 killing of Geoffrey Rugwiro in the Phoenix homeless encampment known as "The Zone."
Rugwiro was beaten to death and his body was thrown in a dumpster before it was set ablaze.
Dinkins pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping late last year. His co-defendant is awaiting trial on charges including first-degree murder.
Phoenix cleared the encampment under court order in late 2023.
More news on homelessness
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Maricopa County has confirmed 230 heat-related deaths so far in 2026 — a 60% increase compared to the same point last year. Another 567 deaths are still under investigation. -
Summer in metro Phoenix is proving to be, yet again, one of the hottest on record.
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An extreme heat warning remains in effect through Sunday. High temperatures are expected to be above 110 degrees. Cooling centers across the Valley are seeing high demand. -
Phoenix budgeted $2.5 million annually for a new master lease program. The city's Office of Homeless Solutions will rent about 50 apartments and sublet those units to people coming out of shelters. -
The Tucson City Council today will hear a presentation about a new pilot program called the Focused Deterrence Quality of Life Initiative. It’s a six-month pilot and appears to be focused on the city’s northwest side.
