Desiree Serpas

Desiree Serpas, a 28-year-old Black mother of two, was known by those who worked with her as a reliable, caring, and devoted parent. A former manager at the bank where she worked described her as an incredible employee who was responsible and frugal, always looking for affordable activities to do with her young children. Her life was cut short in the early morning hours of July 5, 2024, inside a room at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel.

Just after the Fourth of July festivities, around 11:30 p.m., Desiree and her ex-partner, 40-year-old Dominique Jackson, were seen on security footage entering the hotel. The couple, who shared two children, had reportedly been at a bar where they met two other women, one of whom accompanied them back to their room. The night took a bizarre turn around 3 a.m., when police were called to the hotel about a man, later identified as Jackson, wandering naked through the lobby. He told security guards there were demons in his room and that “she was a demon.”

When guards went to the room, which was registered to Jackson, another woman answered the door. Inside, they found Desiree on the floor, unresponsive. She had suffered a gunshot wound to her back that injured her neck and was pronounced deceased at the scene by fire crews. The woman who let the guards in reportedly insisted the person on the floor was Jackson, not a woman. She later told investigators her memory of the night was "patchy" from drinking.

Police found a gun registered to Jackson in the room, which had significant DNA from both him and Desiree. Gunshot residue was found on a shirt Jackson had been wearing, and a single particle of residue was also found on the other woman in the room. On July 22, 2024, Phoenix police arrested Dominique Jackson and booked him on one count of second-degree murder in connection with Desiree’s death. During his initial court appearance, a judge set his bail at $50,000, noting it was the lowest bond the court had ever set for a murder charge and that the evidence seemed weak.

In February 2025, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office moved to dismiss the murder charge against Jackson without prejudice. Prosecutors stated there was insufficient evidence to prove who pulled the trigger and secure a conviction at trial. The dismissal without prejudice means that charges could be refiled in the future if new evidence comes to light.

As of February 2025, the murder of Desiree Serpas remains unsolved. Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377).