Expand / Collapse search
☰
Flood Warning
until SAT 5:15 AM MST, Maricopa County
4
Flood Warning
from SAT 2:57 AM MST until SAT 12:15 PM MST, Gila County
Flood Watch
from SUN 12:00 AM MDT until MON 5:00 AM MST, Chinle Valley, Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas South of Hwy 264, Black Mesa Area, Northeast Plateaus and Mesas Hwy 264 Northward
Flood Watch
from SAT 11:00 PM MST until MON 5:00 AM MST, Northwest Plateau, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle, Western Pima County including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells, Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales, Yavapai County Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County, Western Mogollon Rim, Coconino Plateau, Yavapai County Valleys and Basins, Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons, Grand Canyon Country, Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County, Marble and Glen Canyons, Northern Gila County, White Mountains, Kaibab Plateau, Eastern Mogollon Rim, Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County, North Phoenix/Glendale, Aguila Valley, Mazatzal Mountains, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, San Carlos, East Valley, Northwest Pinal County, Northwest Valley, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, Globe/Miami, Deer Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, Buckeye/Avondale, Tonto Basin, Rio Verde/Salt River, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Dripping Springs, Southeast Gila County, Pinal/Superstition Mountains, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, New River Mesa, Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, West Pinal County, Superior, Cave Creek/New River, Central Phoenix

Robert Interval sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing Christine Mustafa

By FOX 10 Web Staff
FOX 10 Phoenix
Anita Roman's Reports
Published June 7, 2019 6:09 PM MST
Published June 7, 2019 6:09 PM MST
Video poster

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- The man convicted of the murder of missing Valley mother Christine Mustafa has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Last April, a jury found Robert Interval guilty of second-degree murder. Interval, 39, could be released in his early 60s.

Interval was tried on one count of premeditated first-degree murder in the death of his missing ex-girlfriend, who disappeared in May 2017. There was an extensive search for Mustafa's remains, including a two-week search of a Buckeye landfill that ended in December of that year. Even though her body was never found, police and prosecutors were confident in the evidence that Interval killed Mustafa and dumped her body.

Interval and Mustafa's relationship was noted to be rocky and abusive. Mustafa had inquired about getting an order of protection and move away from Interval. During the trial, the prosecution presented incriminating text messages, showing that Interval bought mattress covers the day Mustafa went missing, and he was seen outside a trash transfer facility on that day.

In court Friday, a judge told Interval that his actions have devastated Mustafa's father, six sisters, one brother, and two daughters. Interval showed no emotion.

"A blank look on his face," said Mustafa's twin sister, Maryann Mustafa. "There was never any remorse, empathy or sadness in his face throughout his entire process."

A handful of Interval's relatives showed up, asking the judge for leniency, while dozens of Mustafa's supporter breathed a sigh of relief and celebration when the penalty came down. Mustafa's relatives said they will never have closure, as her body is still missing, somewhere among the tons of garbage in a Phoenix landfill.

"I hope he finds the love and forgiveness in that cell, such as that Christine provided to him," said Maryann. "He got what he deserved."

Mustafa's family wore colored ribbons, symbolizing domestic violence and murder. They urge victims to gather the courage to leave their abusers. Now, the cold-blooded words Interval once told Mustafa is haunting Maryann.

"Looked her straight in the eyes, 'I know how to kill you and get away with it,'" said Maryann. "People should not look at that lightly. When people say things like that, you should take them seriously."