SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Matthew Dieringer, the accused killer of 67-year-old Frank Quaranta, made his first court appearance on Sunday in what the state prosecutor described as a “very violent and horrific murder.”
"The subject allegedly beat the victim to death. This was a very violent and horrific murder,” Maricopa County Attorney's Office prosecutor Brooke Gaunt told the judge. "There was a strong weight of the evidence against Mr. Dieringer, including presumptive DNA match to blood that was found on the scene.”
The state is pursuing a first-degree murder charge in the killing that happened on Labor Day.
According to court documents, Dieringer was living with Quaranta for several months at his home near 68th street and McDowell Road after meeting at a church homeless cooling center. He was recently asking a co-worker how to get Dieringer to move out.
"Through the investigation, our detectives did learn that there were some concerns from the friends about Matthew's behavior and him living there. He's been described as being charismatic and manipulative,” said Officer Aaron Bolin with the Scottsdale Police Department.
Dieringer was arrested at a park in Phoenix on September 6th after police received a tip from a man who recognized Dieringer while walking his dog.
“He did have injuries that were documented by our investigators that were different stages of healing, that could be part of the incident that happened,” Bolin said, recounting the interaction police had with Dieringer during the time of his arrest. "Also, his demeanor was pretty defiant, overall, with us—he actually claimed that he we had the wrong person, that it wasn't actually him.”
During his hearing, Dieringer told the judge a similar story.
"I believe you are being given the wrong information about me, entirely, and my name, and these proceedings are illegal,” Dieringer said at the hearing.
In 2020, Dieringer was convicted of killing his roommate’s dogs in Colorado.
He is currently being held on a $2 million cash bond.
