Russian language
teacher murdered
by Russian-born stepson
Mesa
Community College Russian language instructor Dick Willeford was murdered by his adopted Russian-born stepson Alex M. Willeford.
Adoptive grandparents injured.
Memorial reception held June 20, 2009
Dirk Willeford, a long time Russian language instructor
at Mesa Community College was stabbed to death Friday evening at his
Scottsdale home by his adopted Russian- born
stepson, Alex Micheal Willeford. The murder occurred near Greenway and
Osborne Roads.Alex then drove a mile to his adoptive granparent's house and tried to kill them. The grandmother who had a knife in her face called 991. When police came they found Alex in the back alley and arrested him with no struggle. The grandparents and Alex were all taken to hospitals.
Dirk Willeford was currently teaching two Russian language classes, Elementary Russian II and Intermediate Russian employed as an Adjunct Faculty, World Languages Department, Mesa Community College.
Dr Lee Croft, Professor of Russian Language, Arizona State University, knew the victim Dirk Willeford well and sent this statement:
Dirk Willeford, was my
former student (1974-2009) and long-time colleague in teaching
Russian. He was a graduate of our ASU Russian program (1977, with
honors), and
of the University of Arizona's MA program in Russian, where he taught
as a graduate teaching assistant. He was a Faculty Associate in
Russian at ASU, teaching mostly in the summers from 1992 to 2002.
But
he was known primarily as the lead instructor of Russian at Mesa
Community College since 1994. He married a Russian woman in the
1980s,
adopting her son Alex, and chose to live in proximity to his
son after
he and the mother divorced so that he could play a role in the
boy's
upbringing. Son Alex was a talented baseball player who once
had
professional baseball aspirations. Only a week or so ago in a
telephone conversation with Dirk I asked him about how Alex, whom he
had once sent to see me at ASU to speak about what advantages his
Russian ability might give him in life. Dirk told me that "Alex was
doing well," but apparently there were problems that went
unmentioned.Background
Son Alex
Willeford is 30 years old. He graduated from Saguaro
High School, Scottsdale, in 1998.Dirk's ex-wife, Alex's mother, has an order of protection against her son from Scottsdale Municipal due to son's increasing acts of domestic violence. Though the son had emotional and legal problems, step father Dirk tried to support his stepson to his death. Alex testified that his killed Dirk because his stepfather denied owing him money. The motive for the attacks appears to be robbery to support a drug habit, police said. An undiagnosed brain disorder could also be involved.
Alex served about seven months in prison in 2006 after he was convicted of fleeing from a law enforcement vehicle, and he was arrested many times — 2000 drunk driving with drugs, 2004 resisting arrest and criminal damage, 2005 domestic violence and harassment, 2005 drug possession, and now in 2009 for murder, 2 assaults and robbery.
Online news reports follow...
2009 April 26 — Elderly Couple Stabbed by Grandson, Grandson Under Arrest, Fox NEWS, Channel 10 TV
Scottsdale, AZ —
The Scottsdale Police Deartment was called to a home near 8200
Minnezona at 5:30 this morning. They were told an elderly female
victim had called 911, saying that her grandson had broken into her
home and stabbed her and her husband.Arriving officers arrested the suspect in a back alley - he didn't put up a fight. Other officers arriving at the home found both grandparents with multiple stab wounds to their upper bodies. The grandfather was transported to County Hospital while the grandmother was transported to Osborn.
The 30 year old suspect was also taken to County Hospital for wounds to his hands and is expected to be released shortly.
At this time both victims are in serious condition.
There is no known motive at this time.
2009 April 26 — Scottsdale stabbing suspect's stepdad found dead, Tucson Citizen
Police have discovered the body of the stepfather of the 30-year-old man suspected of stabbing his grandparents, apparently the victim of stab wounds that matched those of the grandparents.
Officers began contacting other members of the family as part of their investigation into the stabbing of the grandparents, who are in serious condition at local hospitals, and discovered the man's body inside his residence at the Scottsdale Springs Apartments on Osborn Road.
The grandmother initially called police at 5:30 a.m. to say her grandson Alex Willeford had broken into their Scottsdale home and stabbed her and her husband on east Minnezona Street, north of Camelback Road, said Officer Dave Pubins, a Scottsdale police spokesman.
When officers arrived, they arrested the man without incident in the alley behind the home. The names of the family members are being withheld. Willeford was taken to a local hospital with wounds on his hands and released into police custody.
According to state Department of Corrections records, Willeford served about seven months in prison in 2006 after he was convicted of fleeing from a law enforcement vehicle.
2009 April 27 — Details emerge in Scottsdale stabbings
A man's being held
without bond on charges accusing him of murdering
his stepfather and attempting to murder his grandparents.In a probable cause statement, Scottsdale police say Alexander Willeford said he killed Dirk Willeford Friday night at the man's apartment by stabbing him in the throat with a hunting knife after his stepfather denied owing him money.
Police allege Willeford also robbed the victim and took keys to his grandparents' home, where he went early Sunday to kill his 79-year-old grandmother, Delores Willeford. While attacking the woman with his hunting knife, said police, Willeford's 81-year-old grandfather, Jack, came in and was attacked.
Police say the suspect told them he wanted to kill his grandmother because she hated him.
2009 April 27 — 3 people stabbed in Scottsdale, 1 fatally, East Valley Tribune and Yuma Sun
[Same as above.]
2009 Apr 27 — Triple Stabbing in Scottsdale Thought to be Theft-Motivated, Fox NEWS, Channel 10 TV
See news video (2
minutes) with 911 phone call, arrest at jail, locations.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Scottsdale police are holding a man after a triple stabbing involving the suspect's grandparents and his 54-year-old stepfather.
Police received a call at 5:30 a.m. Sunday from a 79-year-old woman who said her grandson had broken into her home and stabbed her and her 81-year-old husband.
Responding officers found the suspect, identified as Alex Willeford, 30, in the alley in back of the couple's Scottsdale home.
Willeford was taken to a local hospital for wounds to his hands. He was later released from the hospital and was booked into jail.
Scottsdale police said Willeford is facing one count of first degree murder for the fatal stabbing of his stepfather and 2 counts of attempted first degree murder against his grandparents.
Willeford was also booked on one count of robbery.
Willeford's grandparents had multiple stab wounds to their upper bodies, police said. Both are hospitalized in serious condition, police said.
Both are expected to survive.
Police found the third victim with fatal stab wounds. He was found inside an apartment as police conducted a welfare check Sunday.
The motive for the attacks appears to be robbery to support a drug habit, police said.
2009 April 27 — Man allegedly stabs stepfather, grandparents
See news video shown 5:35 pm Sunday April 26 on channel 12 ABC Evening News (50 seconds):
A man who Scottsdale police believe stabbed his stepfather and his grandparents was in police custody Sunday night.
Police discovered the suspect's 54-year-old stepfather stabbed to death in his apartment in the 7700 block of East Osborn Road while attempting to check on family members and inform them that Alex Willeford, 30, may have stabbed his grandparents.
The suspect's 79-year-old grandmother initially called police at 5:30 a.m. to say her grandson had broken into her Scottsdale home near 82nd Street and Camelback Road and stabbed her and her 81-year-old husband, said Officer Dave Pubins, a Scottsdale police spokesman.
When officers arrived, they arrested Willeford without incident in the alley behind the home.
They later determined that Willeford'sstepfather had died of stab wounds and suspected the 30-year-old was responsible, Pubins said.
Willeford's grandparents were in serious condition Sunday. They were expected to survive.
2009 April 27 — Man held in stabbing death, Arizona Republic, gage B6
See TV News video
Man allegedly stabs stepfather, grandparents
A man who Scottsdale police believe stabbed his stepfather and his grandparents was in police custody Sunday night.
Police discovered the suspect's 54-year-old stepfather stabbed to death in his apartment in the 7700 block of East Osborn Road while attempting to check on family members and inform them that Alex Willeford, 30, may have stabbed his grandparents.
The suspect's 79-year-old grandmother initially called police at 5:30 a.m. to say her grandson had broken into her Scottsdale home near 82nd Street and Camelback Road and stabbed her and her 81-year-old husband, said Officer Dave Pubins, a Scottsdale police spokesman.
When officers arrived, they arrested Willeford without incident in the alley behind the home.
They later determined that Willeford'sstepfather had died of stab wounds and suspected the 30-year-old was responsible, Pubins said.
Willeford's grandparents were in serious condition Sunday. They were expected to survive.
2009 April 27 — Man accused of stabbing stepfather, grandparents, The Associated Press
Third victim found in Scottsdale stabbings, suspect in custody - Scottsdale police are holding a man after a triple stabbing Sunday involving an elderly couple and a 54-year-old man. Suspect in custody
6 pm Channel 3 NEWS video.
SCOTTSDALE — A man's being held without bond on charges accusing him of murdering his stepfather and attempting to murder his grandparents.
In a probable cause statement, Scottsdale police say Alexander Willeford said he killed Dirk Willeford Friday night at the man's apartment by stabbing him in the throat with a hunting knife after his stepfather denied owing him money.
Police allege Willeford also robbed the victim and took keys to his grandparents' home, where he went early Sunday to kill his 79-year-old grandmother, Delores Willeford. While attacking the woman with his hunting knife, said police, Willeford's 81-year-old grandfather, Jack, came in and was attacked.
Police say the suspect told them he wanted to kill his grandmother because she hated him.
2009 April 27 — PD release details in Scottsdale triple stabbing, murder, Channel 15 NEWS
See video Channel 15 ABC TV Phoenix
More details have been released from a triple stabbing and murder that a Scottsdale man allegedly committed over the weekend.
Alex Willeford was arrested for reportedly killing his stepfather on Friday and critically injuring his grandparents on Sunday.
At about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, 79-year-old Delores Willeford reportedly called police and told them that her grandson Alex had stabbed her and her 81-year-old husband, Jack Willeford, at their home.
Shortly after arriving at the scene near 82nd Street and Camelback Road, officers found the 30-year-old suspect in an alley behind the house and took him into custody without incident, according to Officer Dave Pubins of the Scottsdale Police Department.
Officers located Delores on a sidewalk with a knife protruding from her cheek, according to police documents.
She was transported to a local hospital to undergo surgery to remove the knife and is reported to be in stable condition.
Jack was located inside the residence and was transported to another Valley hospital in critical condition.
Police later went to check on the suspect’s stepfather, Dirk Willeford, at an apartment near 77th Street and Osborn Road.
Once at the scene, they found the man's body stabbed several times in the throat, according to Pubins.
In an interview with police, Alex reportedly told detectives he had killed his stepdad around 6:40 p.m. on Friday.
Alex said he went to his stepdad's apartment to demand money he felt he was owed, but when his stepdad denied owing him money, Alex allegedly took a knife he had brought in his backpack.
Alex also apparently took $60, a laptop, his stepfather's identification, miscellaneous receipts, dirty laundry he had left there, and keys that apparently let him into his grandparents’ house.
According to the police report, Alex used the keys he obtained to enter his grandparents’ home between 4 and 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
Alex first went into Delores’ room where she was sleeping and reportedly stabbed her around the throat area with the same knife that killed his stepdad.
Delores apparently began screaming and Jack entered the room.
Alex and Jack fought until Alex apparently realized Delores was calling police, a report showed.
Alex then pushed Delores into a bathtub and stabbed her multiple times before fleeing into the nearby alley, according to police.
Alex allegedly told detectives that he tried to kill his grandmother because she hated him and he tried to kill his grandfather because of the way he treated him.
Alex was taken to Maricopa Medical Center for wounds to his hands. He was taken into custody after being released from the hospital, according to Pubins.
Pubins said Alex faces one count of 1st-degree murder, two counts of attempted 1st-degree murder, and one armed robbery charge.
2009 April 27 — Third victim found in Scottsdale stabbings, KGUN 9 ABC
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Scottsdale police are holding a man after a triple stabbing Sunday involving an elderly couple and a 54-year-old man.
The suspect in the attacks is the couple's grandson. Scottsdale police said the latest victim is the stepfather of the suspect. Police found the third victim while conducting a welfare check at a Scottsdale apartment complex Sunday.
Police received a call at 5:30 a.m. Sunday from a 79-year-old woman saying her grandson had broken into her home and stabbed her and her 81-year-old husband.
Responding officers found the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Alex Willeford, in the back alley and took him into custody without incident. Willeford's grandparents had multiple stab wounds to their upper bodies and were taken to the hospital where they are listed in serious condition.
OBITUARY — The Arizona Republic, May 3, 2009
Willeford, Dirk Mark
We mourn
the passing of Dirk Mark Willeford of Scottsdale, Az. He will be missed
by his family and friends. He passed in his residence in Scottsdale on
Friday April 24th. Dirk was born December 29th, 1954 in Chicago
Heights, Ill. Dirk enjoyed tennis, teaching Russian to his students,
and spending time with his family. He was an avid jogger. Dirk is
survived by his parents, Jack and Dolores Willeford of Scottsdale, Az,
His sisters Daria Miglia of Ingleside, Tx and Wende Tuerk of Phoenix,
Az. And several nieces and nephews. Services are pending with Messinger
Mortuaries and Chapels of Scottsdale. Memorial Reception, Saturday, June 20, 2009, 1 pm to 5 pm
Not published in paper: On June 20, 2009, a reception hosted by the family with refeshments will be held from 1 to 5 pm at Scottsdale Messinger Indian School Mortuary, 7601 East Indian School Road, Downtown Scottsdale 480-945-9521. All friends, students and interested are invited. The body was cremated.