Shortly after midnight on December 15, 2023, 34-year-old Ebony Phelps was brought to a Phoenix hospital with critical gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead. Police later located clear evidence of a shooting inside an apartment near 1700 West Missouri Avenue; the residence was empty when officers arrived. Detectives identified her 36-year-old husband, Cori Braggs, as a suspect and later located him at a different address in the area of 19th Avenue and Glendale Avenue. After negotiations with law enforcement, Braggs was taken into custody and booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail.

Family accounts after Ebony’s death described a history of domestic turmoil: her mother, Precious Brown, said Braggs had previously threatened to kill her daughter. Ebony had just welcomed a second child in November and is survived by two children; her mother has since focused on raising awareness about domestic violence. If anyone knew Ebony or has information about her last hours or the situation at the Missouri Avenue apartment, please share what you know.