A dispute over a car sale in Phoenix turned deadly in the fall of 1996, when 29-year-old Sandra Imperial and her 28-year-old husband, Hector Imperial, Sr., were murdered in their home. The conflict began when Tonatihu Aguilar, known as Dopey, arrived with a friend demanding money for the vehicle he said he had sold them and threatened the couple if payment was not made that evening. A frightened Sandra called her brother-in-law, Ruben Imperial, to report the threats.

The next day Aguilar returned. He killed Hector Sr., and shortly afterward he came back and murdered Sandra. Their five-year-old son, Hector Jr., witnessed his mother’s death and later testified that Dopey entered the bedroom, told them to shut up, and shot her. In September 1997 Aguilar was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and endangerment. A jury later convicted him of first-degree murder for Sandra’s death and second-degree murder for Hector Sr.; the court found Sandra’s murder especially heinous, cruel, or depraved.

Did anyone in Phoenix at the time have additional information about the car transaction or those threats?