Phoenix cold case murder suspect released as detectives continue investigation
Security guard Jeffrey Bellemare was fatally shot in 2013, leading to the 2026 arrest of 43-year-old Joe Gerardo in Globe by Phoenix Police after a witness came forward. Gerardo has since been released from jail pending further investigation.
PHOENIX - A suspect in the 2013 murder of a Phoenix unarmed apartment complex security guard has been released from jail as the police department continues its investigation.
The backstory:
Investigators arrested Joe Gerardo, 43, in Globe on Nov. 3 after receiving a tip linking him to the Nov. 29, 2013, fatal shooting of Jeffrey Bellemare, 59, near 55th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Police circulated a sketch of the suspect, but leads quickly went cold until a new witness came forward this year.
The witness told detectives she was a teenager living at the complex at the time of the shooting. Minutes before the attack, she said she saw Gerardo with a gun asking about Bellemare and saying he was going to "handle him tonight."
She later identified Gerardo in a photo lineup.
What they're saying:
This is what the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office had to say about Gerardo's violent history: "He has gang affiliations … Looks like about a month prior to this incident he committed, he was subsequently convicted of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and theft of means. He also has a weapons conviction in 2002."
What's next:
Gerardo has been released from jail while the Maricopa County Attorney's Office requests more information from Phoenix Police before deciding whether to formally file charges.
Gerardo, who faces a first-degree murder accusation, was previously held on a $2 million cash-only bond.
Man arrested in Globe for 2013 murder of Phoenix security guard, PD says
Phoenix Police arrested 43-year-old Joe Gerardo in Globe in connection with the November 2013 deadly shooting of Jeffrey Bellemare, an unarmed security guard.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Phoenix Police Department; a witness who lived at the apartment complex at the time of the shooting; and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.