PHOENIX — A jury has found Ian Mitcham guilty on first-degree murder, sexual assault and burglary charges in the 2015 death of Allison Feldman.
Sentencing will occur at a future date for Mitcham. Court proceedings are expected to continue on April 15 to review the aggravating factors in the case.
Allison's family has been fighting for justice in her case for over a decade.
Murdered inside her home
Allison Feldman
February 17, 2026, marked eleven years since Allison Feldman's family last heard from the 31-year-old.
The University of Arizona graduate was found dead in her Scottsdale home the next day.
Back in 2015, people in the Scottsdale community were left scared after Allison was found brutally murdered in her Scottsdale home.
Police said Feldman died of head trauma.
According to court documents, she was found nude and her body smelled of bleach.
Her case marked the first in Arizona where familial DNA was used to help track down a suspect, Ian Mitcham.
RELATED: The murder of Allison Feldman and the battle over DNA evidence
Despite the arrest, court documents said investigators couldn't find a connection between Allison and Mitcham.
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Years later, just before the case went to trial, a judge tossed out Mitcham's DNA sample and said it couldn't be used as evidence. The reason, it was collected as part of an unrelated DUI case.
The lower court said it shouldn't have been available for testing. According to court documents, the testing process was done without a warrant.
But then, the Arizona Court of Appeals reversed that decision.
The Arizona Supreme Court listened to oral arguments in late September 2024 and announced a decision months later.
The Arizona Justices said the warrantless search did violate Mitcham's Fourth Amendment rights, but believed police would have inevitably obtained his DNA lawfully since Mitcham is now a twice convicted felon.
Trial Begins
"I've decided this is what I'm going to be doing," said Allison's dad Harley Feldman during the first week in court.
Jury selection began in October 2025 and opening statements were heard in November.
Prosecutors built their case around DNA evidence, bank records, witness testimony, and even details like Mitcham's car.
They told the jury during their opening statements that the "killer" left with some of Allison's jewelry, along with her wallet, phone, house key, and a large amount of cash.
Meanwhile, Mitcham's defense team worked to point the finger at a former Valley pharmacist who lived not far from Allison.
It was decided, prior to trial, that this other man could plead the Fifth outside the presence of a jury. Scottsdale police told ABC15 they did not have any evidence linking this third party to the murder.
The trial spanned months and jurors heard testimony from a wide variety of people, including Allison's dad and boyfriend.
Closing arguments started on April 6 and spanned two days.
"Ian Mitcham committed this murder. Every piece of evidence points to him," said prosecutor Jeffrey Roseberry.
Mitcham's defense team focused on the lack of connection between their client and Allison, while trying to poke holes in the police investigation.
"At the very beginning of this trial, I told you that the state charged the wrong person," said defense attorney Jeffrey Kirchler.
The jury got the case on April 7, toward the end of the day, and officially started deliberations the next morning.
This is a capital case and the county attorney's office has filed to seek the death penalty.
