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Man sentenced to 25 years to life after 1984 Phoenix cold case murder

Latest headlines from ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix
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PHOENIX — The man convicted in a 1984 murder of a Phoenix woman will spend 25 years to life in prison.

A spokesperson for Maricopa County Superior Court confirmed to ABC15 Monday that David Kizziar has now been sentenced to 25 years to life for a 1984 murder of a woman in Phoenix.

Kizziar was convicted in July of 2026.

An anonymous caller led police to an abandoned mortuary building near 3rd Avenue and Fillmore Street on Feb. 17, 1984, documents show. Police say 22-year-old Aimee See's naked body was found inside. She was reportedly found on a sleeping bag with head injuries and a phone cord around her neck.

Police said there was a blood trail to the victim's body and it appeared that she had been dead for several days.

Court documents show that on Oct. 15, 2020, 67-year-old David Kizziar was detained by police after he was identified as a potential lead in See's murder.

Documents show that Kizziar told police he was living near the mortuary at the time of the homicide. He also attended the YMCA and St. Vincent de Paul around the same time as See.

Further DNA tests were conducted and on Nov. 5, police determined that Kizziar matched the evidence taken from the homicide scene. The next day, he was arrested near 12th Avenue and Madison Street and booked into jail on first-degree murder and sexual assault charges.

Kizziar has denied all involvement in the case and could not explain how his DNA was found at the scene, police say.

Phoenix Police Department says this cold case was solved with the help of new and changing technology, as it has been under review with new methods since 2012.

Phoenix police have been dedicating more resources to public awareness of cold cases with a new video series called "Hot Desert, Cold Cases."