Murder trial begins for Arizona man accused of stabbing aunt to death when he was 14

Ares Adle is facing a first-degree murder charge after he allegedly stabbed her in the neck
Ares Adle's defense team wants to see a different outcome than first-degree murder, while the state argued this was premeditated
Published: Oct. 16, 2024 at 3:17 AM UTC
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PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Trial began Tuesday for the man accused of stabbing his aunt to death in 2019 when he was just 14 years old.

Ares Adle is now charged as an adult with first-degree murder. After opening statements, his mom took the stand. She’s in an unusual position as the mother of the alleged killer and sister of the victim.

Adle’s defense attorney told the jury it’s unlikely and unreasonable to find him ‘not guilty’ of killing his aunt. But their defense team wants to see a different outcome than first-degree murder, while the state argued this was premeditated.

The defendant’s mom, Latrice Ciricillo, laid out what happened the moments before and after her sister was killed.

“Help! Tonya, Tonya! Hello? Hi, we need an ambulance immediately,” the 911 tapes revealed.

Painful and dramatic moments unfolded in the courtroom when the 911 call was played.

Latrice called police after her sister came into her room bleeding from a stab wound in her neck on Feb. 1, 2019

You can hear Latrice making a desperate call: “Come on Tonya, keep breathing, come on Tonya, Tonya please!”

Her sister, Tonya Harper, would later die at the hospital. Latrice testified her last words in their home.

“What did she say?” the prosecutor asked.

“She said that she thought that it was Ares,” Latrice recalled.

She’s referring to her son, then 14-year-old Ares Adle, who is now 20 years old as he stands trial for his aunt’s death.

The state showed many pictures of their Sun Lakes home’s bloody halls and walls.

Ares’ mother and stepfather took the stand Tuesday as they were questioned about that day.

They said family members were in town for a reunion, and Ares’ stepfather remembered waking up at night.

“I think I recall Tonya crying or screaming, or crying out,” Mike Ciricillo said on the stand.

The Ciricillos then told the court they rushed to get help from other family members after seeing her stabbed in the neck.

Latrice said she found Ares in the hallway near his room during the ordeal.

“He was upset, he was pacing, he was crying,” she told the court. “Just a blank look.”

Body camera video played in the courtroom showed officers arriving at the scene.

Latrice testified that while the family went to the hospital, she and Ares went to the garage, where Ares took a nap.

She said they received the news her sister passed away, and she woke up Ares to tell him.

“I said auntie Tonya died,” Latrice recalled.

“What was his reaction?” the defense attorney asked.

“He passed out,” she said.

The state claims Ares Adle planned out this attack, saying he cut 12 different phone lines before the stabbing.

“He took the time to wait for the perfect opportunity and the family members were getting ready for bed,” the prosecutor said.

But the defense said that while finding Ares not guilty is unlikely, they plan to present different outcomes to the jury for a lesser conviction, claiming the state still has no motive they can prove to this day.

“The verdict for first degree premeditated murder is not guilty. But you will have other options,” said the defense attorney.

The trial will pick up Wednesday morning as Ares’ stepfather finishes his testimony. Even though they finished up with his mom, she is subject to recall later in the trial if they have more questions to ask her.

We hope to learn as the trial proceeds what was going on in Ares’ life that may have led to the alleged attack and what other evidence was found in the case.

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