On the morning of September 1, 2024, 48-year-old construction business owner Alan David Whitworth was shot and killed at a job site near 39th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix. Whitworth and a younger coworker were repairing or packing up after fixing a fence when they were confronted by a man. Witnesses and police say the argument escalated, the man left briefly, returned with a firearm, and multiple shots were fired; both workers were struck. Whitworth was pronounced dead at the scene and his coworker was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Investigators said the shooting was not random and that both men were shot multiple times, including after falling to the ground. Silent Witness issued a homicide flyer and a reward was offered as police reviewed nearby surveillance and canvassed for witnesses. By mid-September a suspect was identified and arrested; court records and police statements indicate 31-year-old Marquea Cato was detained at a marijuana dispensary where he worked as an armed guard and a handgun matching the description of the weapon was recovered. These are allegations as the matter moves through the courts.

Did anyone working or traveling near 39th Street and Thomas Road that morning see the confrontation or the person who fled afterward?