Man convicted of murdering his girlfriend at north Phoenix apartment before fleeing

Perry Vandell, Arizona Republic
·1 min read
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The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced on Thursday that a man was convicted for the 2021 murder of his girlfriend after fatally shooting her in a north Phoenix apartment.

Phoenix police responded to the apartment near Bell Road and 35th Avenue on Jan. 5, 2021, after receiving two calls asking for a welfare check. Police found 39-year-old Jessica Kennedy dead with a gunshot wound to the head but did not locate a weapon.

MCAO said Phoenix police described Kennedy's boyfriend, Cecil Noyola, who is now 64, acting erratically over several days, eventually fleeing the state. Noyola returned to Arizona later that month and admitted to giving the gun he used to a friend, which police recovered after arresting the friend.

Noyola was convicted of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for May 20 in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Second-degree murder typically has a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years in Arizona.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man convicted of murdering his girlfriend at north Phoenix apartment