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Valley realtor convicted of murdering estranged wife

Stephen J. Mora, 55, was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to murdering his estranged wife in 2020, court records show.

MESA, Ariz. — The pictures on Instagram made them appear as a happy, loving couple.

Stephen Mora, a former real estate agent in the Valley, often used his social media profile to publish smiling portraits of his wife Janell Leach. 

When he wasn't posting pictures of the properties he was trying to sell, Mora was documenting anniversaries, birthday celebrations, and holidays he shared with his spouse.

On Sept. 15, 2019, Stephen posted a photo of a recent date night he had shared with Janell. But within a year of that photo being published, Janell would be dead and Stephen would be in jail. 

Janell, who had a lengthy career working at Arizona State University, died from a fatal gunshot wound sustained as the 40-year-old was jogging around Mesa on Sept. 26, 2020. 

The mother of two boys had recently filed to separate from Mora after four years of marriage, according to Mesa police. 

Mora had tracked Janell down to Power Road and the Loop 202 and attempted to confront his estranged wife, police said.

After spotting Mora in his car, Janell ran over to a motorist and shouted, "Help me. He’s got a gun," public records show. Witnesses saw Mora shoot Janell before jumping in his car and driving off. 

Mora then allegedly attempted suicide by shooting himself outside the Mesa police headquarters. After he was treated for his injuries, Mora was booked into jail. 

Court records show Mora was sentenced last month to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. The crime was notably categorized as a "domestic violence offense."

A GoFundMe fundraiser started after Janell's death accumulated more than $38,000 in donations for her two sons. 

"A bright, joyful soul who wanted nothing more than to provide a happy memory-filled life for her boys," Janell's obituary states. "She was taken from this life too soon."

Credit: AZ Dept. of Corrections

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