Man arrested for September murder in downtown Phoenix

PHOENIX — Phoenix police detectives arrested a man for a murder in downtown Phoenix that took place on Sep. 29, police said.

According to police, officers responding to an unknown trouble call in the area of Seventh and Jefferson streets found 33-year-old Leander Nephew who had been shot critically.

He was taken to the hospital by Phoenix Fire Department personnel but did not survive his injuries.

After an extensive investigation that concluded on Friday two-and-a-half months following the murder, police arrested 25-year-old Brandell Tripp for the murder of Nephew.

Tripp was booked into Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail for second-degree murder and additional felony charges.

In August, Phoenix released preliminary crime statistics for the first six months of 2023. The police department said overall violent crime is down 2%, and overall property crime is down 19% compared to the first six months of 2022.

Violent crimes include homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and rape. Homicides and robberies have both seen more than a 10% decrease so far this year, according to the city of Phoenix.

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