AHWATUKEE, AZ — A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged with negligent homicide in connection with the murder of a woman who was found dead at baseball fields in Ahwatukee in December 2024.
Phoenix police officers were first called to the area of 40th Street and Ray Road on December 7, 2024, where they located the body of 21-year-old Margaret Williams at the baseball fields in the area.
Police initially said there were no obvious signs of trauma and detectives completed their death investigation.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office later took custody of Williams’ body and, in January 2025, determined her death to be a homicide by strangulation, according to court records.
Documents state that following an investigation, 20-year-old Jayden Frost was arrested in Ohio on December 15, 2025, and was extradited to Arizona later that month.
While in custody, Frost told authorities that he was in a relationship with Williams for approximately two months leading up to her death.
Frost admitted that he and Williams were engaging in sexual acts at the baseball fields and was choking her at the time of her death, claiming that the acts were consensual, documents state.
Frost faces one charge of negligent homicide.
On Thursday, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office provided the following statement regarding the charge:
"County Attorney Mitchell extends her heartfelt condolences to the family of the victim in this case. We want the public to understand that charging decisions are not a measure of the value of a victim’s life but are instead based on evidence available and the legal standards we are required to meet to bring charges forward.
Phoenix Police submitted a negligent homicide charge for Jayden Frost on December 18, 2025. After careful review of the case submitted, our office moved forward with prosecution, filing the charge submitted. Please see attached indictment.
The defendant is currently detained, and this case is set for trial in May 2026.
If more evidence is brought forward to law enforcement and that information is submitted to our office, we will review and modify charges if necessary."
