PHOENIX — New murder charges have been filed against a man who was already facing charges for another crime that took place in 2022.
Thomas Desharnais was indicted by a grand jury in July for the murder of Richard Cano Sr., according to court documents. Desharnais is also facing murder charges for his reported role in the death of an 11-year-old boy.
Police said the child was murdered at a Scottsdale hotel back in January 2022. Desharnais' wife and grandmother to the victim was also charged.
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Anthony Ramirez, the attorney representing the family of Cano Sr., said Desharnais and Cano Sr. were cellmates at the Lower Buckeye Jail. Ramirez said in September, Desharnais strangled Cano Sr. to death.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) incident report obtained by 12News revealed an officer saw Cano Sr. was unresponsive in his cell. The report claimed life-saving measures were performed but Cano was pronounced dead.
Cano's family said they were not notified until weeks after their loved one died. Ramirez announced in March they submitted a wrongful death notice of claim against the county.
Now, nearly a year after Cano's death took place, Ramirez said the family is pleased charges have been filed against Desharnais. However, he question's why it took this much time to happen.
"You had two individuals that were in a cell together in a locked facility," Ramirez said. "There's cameras everywhere.”
A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said MCSO submitted charges in April, 2023. A month after 12News aired it's story about Cano's death.
Ramirez said they now plan on filing a lawsuit against the county after it failed to respond to their notice of claim. The family still questions why Cano, who was behind bars for drug possession, was put in the same cell as someone facing the death penalty.
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