Defendant sentenced in death of man beaten, burned in Phoenix homeless encampment
Jan 3, 2025, 12:00 PM
PHOENIX – One defendant was recently sentenced to 42 years in prison for the death of a man whose body was left to burn in a Phoenix homeless encampment nearly two years ago, authorities announced Friday.
Dave Dinkins, 25, learned of his punishment on Dec. 19 after previously pleading to guilty three charges. He received consecutive sentences of 25 years for second-degree murder, 15 years for kidnapping and two years for aggravated assault.
Dinkins and 20-year-old Isaiah Baskin were indicted in the death of Geoffrey Rugwiro. Baskin is awaiting trial on multiple charges, including first-degree murder and arson.
Rugwiro was part of a family that escaped genocide in Rwanda, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
What was defendant in Phoenix murder case accused of?
Rugwiro was beaten to death and set on fire at 11th Avenue and Madison Street on March 21, 2023. The area is part of what was then known as The Zone homeless encampment, which has since been dispersed.
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According to prosecutors, two men were seen on surveillance video taking Rugwiro into a dark corner where a large amount of blood was later found. They then moved his body into a large trash bin and set it on fire.
Police identified Dinkins as a suspect through the video and incriminating text messages, prosecutors said. He was indicted two months after Rugwiro was killed.
Dinkins was processed into the La Palma state prison in Eloy on Dec. 23.
“This defendant showed an unimaginable level of cruelty and an immense disregard for the victim’s life,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release. “For too many years, The Zone was a hotbed of crime and violence, plaguing those living and working in and around it. Everyone in Maricopa County deserves to feel safe in our community. My office is dedicated to ensuring those who threaten that safety and security are held accountable.”
