PHOENIX — The lengthy criminal history of a triple murder suspect in Ahwatukee is coming into focus, including stints on probation in Arizona and California. 12News has uncovered some alarming circumstances where his criminal behavior continued while on state supervision.
Chase Christman, 30, has been charged with three counts of second degree murder after three victims were found dead following an apartment fire on July 15. After the fire, the bodies of 27-year-old Merissa Honeycutt, 25-year-old Anthony Frederickson-Ceccarelli and 37-year-old Samuel Lott were found with "obvious signs of trauma," Phoenix police say.
In an interview after his arrest, Christman admitted to being at the apartment where the three bodies were found, but denied that he committed the murders. Investigators believe he killed the three people the night before the fire.
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The relationship between the victims and Christman remains unknown. 12News has learned his arrest records are sealed. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says this was done at the request of Phoenix police, who claim the release of probable cause records would jeopardize their ongoing investigation.
Newly obtained court documents show that Christman is a three-time convicted felon and has 11 misdemeanor convictions in California. He was arrested in 2020 by Glendale Police for cutting a fraudulent check to a woman on an item he later pawned for cash. He later pleaded guilty to trafficking stolen property, a class-2 felony.
Christman was sentenced to two years on probation in May, 2021 under the supervision of the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department.
“It just seems to be a very hands off, lackadaisical approach to probation," former Maricopa County Probation Officer Beth Goulden said.
Goulden is referring to multiple instances in court records of Christman engaging in criminal behavior after his sentencing. First, he pleaded guilty in October, 2021 to charges of shoplifting and exhibiting a prohibited weapon in Ventura County, California. Despite the conviction, Christman's probation was not revoked.
Then, in January 2023, court records reveal his probation officer caught him relapsing on drugs here in Arizona, but the officer stated he was showing signs of improvement on his road to sobriety. He wasn't revoked and competed his term of probation four months later.
“In my over 25 years with Maricopa County adult probation and and even now today, it's not rare that we're seeing just chance after chance after chance, instead of a more proactive approach to probation supervision," Goulden said.
At a hearing over the weekend, an attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office argued for a five-million dollar cash only bond on his pending murder case in part because of his prior criminal history.
“He has at least three prior felony convictions. He absconded from parole from California on one occasion," the attorney stated.
Goulden believes a more hands on approach to his probation supervision, including a stint in jail or prison, could have done Christman some good.
“I think timeouts are sometimes really important to do and just remind the person that you know this is serious. We don't want you to hurt anybody," Goulden said. "We want you to get clean and sober and so that I could say that's always on the table, even for a quick timeout.”
12News reached out to the Maricopa County Probation Department to learn why he was never revoked for continued criminal behavior. A spokesperson said they are barred from speaking on the specifics of his case because of rules set by the Arizona Supreme Court.
Christman remains behind bars at the Maricopa County Jail on that five-million dollar cash only bond. His next court date is scheduled for July 25.
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