TEMPE, AZ — A man has been sentenced to life in prison with an additional 26 years for the murder of his 19-year-old girlfriend, Amria Crofton, in Tempe.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced the sentencing for Adrian Aguilar on Tuesday.
In June 2023, Aguilar was driving with Crofton around Tempe when he saw a text message on her phone from another man. During court proceedings it was determined that Aguilar demanded Crofton tell him if she was cheating and threatened to shoot her if she did not tell the truth.
After Crofton repeatedly denied having a relationship with someone else, Aguilar shot her. Over the next 45 minutes, Aguilar drove around Tempe repeatedly shooting Crofton.
That evening, Tempe officers responded to a call for help near Broadway Road and 48th Street after a witness saw Aguilar standing outside his car and firing multiple shots into the passenger seat before walking away.
When police arrived, they found Aguilar near the crime scene with a gunshot wound. He claimed his car had been shot up.
Police discovered several inconsistencies with his story. After additional interviews, Aguilar confessed to shooting Crofton because he thought she disrespected him. He also admitted to shooting himself in the shoulder.
Authorities say Crofton had 11 gunshot wounds to her head, neck, and torso, as well as multiple injuries to her face, head, and hands. During the police interview, Aguilar shared that Crofton was scared, crying, and asked to be taken home as he shot her.
In February of this year, a jury found Aguilar guilty of one count of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated assault.
