Man indicted for ex-girlfriend's murder in Avondale: MCAO
Ex-boyfriend charged with murdering 17-year-old high school student in Avondale: police
An 18-year-old was indicted in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend in November while she slept in her bed in Avondale.
AVONDALE, Ariz. - A man accused of shooting and killing his teenage ex-girlfriend while she slept inside an Avondale apartment has been indicted for murder.
The backstory:
On Nov. 8, 17-year-old Rhiana Kemplin was found shot near Rancho Santa Fe Boulevard and McDowell Road. Kemplin was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and died on the same day.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 10, the suspect also allegedly tried to shoot Kemplin's mother, but the gun didn't fire. The suspect then fled the scene and Kemplin's mother called 911.
Rhiana Kemplin
A week later, Avondale Police announced the arrest of 18-year-old Emilio Rivera, who denied shooting Kemplin. Police say they matched a gun found inside his mother's home to the one used in Kemplin's murder.
"There was a ballistics match to a firearm that was found in Mr. Rivera's home," a police official confirmed.
Rivera was booked into jail on murder and attempted murder charges.
Update:
On Dec. 4, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced that Rivera, 18, had been indicted by a grand jury on the following charges:
- First-degree murder
- Attempted second-degree murder
- Criminal damage
Emilio Rivera (Courtesy: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
What's next:
Rivera is currently being held on a $1 million cash bond and is set to go on trial in July 2026.
Map of where the shooting happened
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from a news release by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and a previous FOX 10 report on Nov. 16, 2025.