Jury convicts murderer in death of 20-year-old shot eleven times

FLORENCE, Ariz. (November 19, 2018) – A Pinal County Superior Court jury returned a verdict against a man charged with murdering another man outside the City of Maricopa on November 7, 2016. 

A jury convicted Arthur Magana of first-degree felony murder and armed robbery. 

In 2016, 16-year-old Arthur Magana and 17-year-old passenger Gustavo Olivo met 20-year-old Wyatt Miller.  Miller picked up the two juveniles in his truck and drove to a dirt road.  Magana was riding in the back seat of Miller’s truck when he fired eleven shots from the back seat striking Miller in his head, back, and neck.  Magana and Olivo, who took four ounces of marijuana, fled to a nearby house.  Deputies tracked footprints that led from the truck to a house where they located the suspects.  Detectives found marijuana, a gun, and bloody clothing at the scene.  Arthur Magana and Olivo were both arrested by Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. 

“Today, a jury of his peers held the defendant accountable for his vicious, execution-style murder of Wyatt Miller.  The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office along with the Pinal County Attorney’s Office worked collaboratively to bring justice for Mr. Miller and his family.  It is my sincere hope that with this conviction Mr. Miller’s family receives some measure of closure and can begin the long healing process,” County Attorney Kent Volkmer said.

A sentencing date has yet to be determined, but December 17, 2018, is set for the next hearing date.