This browser does not support the Video element.
New details on AZ homeless man accused of murder
We are learning more about the suspect in the murder of a man he allegedly met at a church homeless outreach event. According to investigators, the victim had been letting Matthew Dieringer live with him for months when he was killed. FOX 10's Ashlie Rodriguez reports.
PHOENIX - Court documents are providing new information in the case of a murder suspect who Scottsdale Police say was described as "manipulative and charismatic."
The backstory:
In recent days, we have reported on the case involving Matthew Stephen Dieringer.
Dieringer, 35, was named as a suspect in the murder of 67-year-old Frank Quaranta on Sept. 4. Investigators first became aware of what happened when they responded to the victim's home near 68th Street and McDowell Road around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 for a welfare check. The welfare check call was made to police after Quaranta didn't show up for work.
"Responding officers were unable to contact the victim any other way and forced entry inside the residence to check on Quaranta. Tragically, Quaranta was found deceased inside," police wrote at the time.
Dieringer, according to investigators, was arrested on Sept. 6.
What We Know Now:
Per court documents we obtained on Sept. 8, a medical examiner confirmed that Quaranta suffered multiple injuries, including skull fractures, a neck fracture, broken ribs, and "numerous other severe injuries."
It should be noted that while Scottsdale Police officials have identified the victim as Quaranta, the version of court documents that we obtained did not include the victim's name.
Investigators later found out, through interviews with Quaranta's co-workers, that Quaranta had been allowing a man to live with him for the previous three months, and was recently asking a co-worker about how to get the man to move out of the house. Police were later able to identify the man as Dieringer.
Matthew Stephen Dieringer
According to court documents, Dieringer was arrested by Phoenix Police for a probation violation on the morning of Sept. 6. Following his arrest, police say they found a number of bruises, abrasions and scratches, some already healing, on various parts of Dieringer's body.
Investigators noted that after Dieringer was arrested, Phoenix Police were advised that there was a search warrant for Dieringer's person, including DNA.
"The search warrant was served on the defendant, who refused to allow the administration of buccal swabs," investigators wrote.
A new search warrant, according to court documents, was later obtained that would allow for a blood draw. The search warrant also covered Dieringer's clothes and various other items.
"The defendant had to be secured in a chair to obtain the blood, clothing, and other items," read a portion of the court documents.
Investigators wrote that Dieringer's DNA was later tied to the scene.
In the latter portions of the court documents, police wrote that Dieringer, following his arrest, was "not cooperative with law enforcement," and was not interviewed by detectives because he had asked to speak with a lawyer.
Read More: 'You have the right to remain silent': The Miranda Warning and its Phoenix origin
Dig deeper:
In court documents, investigators say that during an early stage in the investigation, they learned of rumors that Dieringer had previously been arrested in Colorado for allegedly killing a roommate's dog. The rumor was subsequently confirmed by a news report from an otherwise unspecified news outlet.
According to reports from Colorado Springs television stations KKTV and KXRM in 2020, Dieringer was arrested that year and accused of killing two of his roommate's dogs. Dieringer was 30 at that time.
What's next:
According to court documents, Dieringer has been arrested in the past for various alleged crimes, including resisting arrest and failure to appear in court, and was previously convicted of aggravated cruelty to animals, criminal mischief, and other charges. Police also wrote that Dieringer "appears to be mentally unstable."
A judge has set a $2 million cash-only bond for Dieringer, who is accused of a count of 1st Degree Murder. According to the website for Grand Canyon Law Group, a cash-only bond requires the posting of the full bail amount, in cash, in order for the defendant to be released.
Dieringer's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 16, according to court documents.