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Ian Mitcham murder trial begins on Oct. 20
Ian Mitcham is charged with the murder of 31-year-old Allison Feldman, who was found dead in her Scottsdale home in 2015.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The trial for a man accused of killing a woman in Scottsdale a decade ago began on Monday.
Ian Mitcham is charged with the murder of 31-year-old Allison Feldman, who was found dead in her home in 2015. Mitcham was first charged in 2018, but a court battle over DNA evidence caused a lengthy delay in the case.
Ian Mitcham and Allison Feldman
The backstory:
Mitcham was arrested for Feldman's murder after investigators say they matched DNA from the crime scene to Mitcham's brother, who was in prison. Police then used a sample of Mitcham's DNA from a 2015 DUI arrest to put him at the murder scene.
In 2023, just before the case was set to go to trial, a judge tossed out the DNA evidence. The defense argued that using the sample violated Mitcham's Fourth Amendment rights because he didn't consent to it being used, and it was supposed to have been destroyed.
The Arizona Court of Appeals later reversed that decision, which led to an appeal to the state supreme court.
Last year, the state supreme court heard arguments from both sides on the DNA evidence, before issuing a ruling in December that the evidence can be used in the murder case.
Family of Allison Feldman 1 step closer to justice after AZ Supreme Court's DNA ruling
The family of Allison Feldman is one step closer to justice after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled DNA evidence can be used in court nearly a decade after the crime took place.
What's next:
The trial got underway on Oct. 20 with jury selection, which could last for weeks.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and a previous FOX 10 report on Dec. 17, 2024.