Rodney Hardy was sentenced to death by the State of Arizona for a double murder
According to court documents Rodney Hardy and his common law wife Tiffany Lien were at a party and an argument broke out. Tiffany Lien would leave without him. Two days later Rodney Hardy would go to the home where Lien was staying. When a woman came out of the home she was forced back into the home at gunpoint where Hardy would fatally shoot Tiffany Lien and Don Stanciel
Rodney Hardy would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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RODNEY E. HARDY 045659
PO Box 3400
Florence, AZ 85132
United States
Rodney Hardy Case
¶ 2 On Thursday, August 25, 2005, Hardy’s wife Tiffany Lien called her friend Meleigha and said she needed a place to stay.2 Meleigha told Tiffany that she could move in with her, but Tiffany did not stay with her that night.
¶ 3 The next day, Hardy slapped Tiffany, and she left their apartment. That afternoon, Hardy asked his son to keep Hardy’s gun because “he didn’t need any drama,” but Hardy retrieved the gun that night. Hardy also went to a club that evening and told the bartender, “my baby is gone,” and he “could kill them both.” That same night, Tiffany went out with Meleigha, Julius, and Don. Tiffany and Don were romantically involved.
¶ 4 Hardy left a message on Meleigha’s cell phone shortly after midnight on Saturday, August 27, saying that he knew where Tiffany was, whom she was with, and what vehicle they were driving. When Hardy called again, Meleigha handed the phone to Tiffany, and Hardy and Tiffany argued. During that call or a subsequent one, Tiffany handed the phone to Don, who also argued with Hardy.
¶ 5 Later that weekend, Hardy visited his friend Krystal. He was intoxicated and upset, saying “she’s gone and I don’t know what to do,” and “it’s too late for her to come back.”
¶ 6 On Sunday, August 28, shortly after midnight, Meleigha, Julius, Tiffany, and Don went to Meleigha’s apartment. Eventually, Meleigha and Julius went to Meleigha’s bedroom, and Tiffany and Don went to a second bedroom further down the hall.
¶ 7 At approximately 4 a.m., Meleigha went outside and downstairs to a vending machine. While she was there, Hardy came up behind her and then pushed her up the stairs and into her apartment. He followed and headed down the hallway. When Hardy paused at the first bedroom door, Meleigha shouted, “That’s my boyfriend.” Hardy continued to the second bedroom, opened the door, cocked a gun, and started shooting. Julius and Meleigha ran out of the apartment, hearing several shots as they fled.
¶ 8 When police arrived at Meleigha’s apartment, Tiffany and Don were unresponsive. Tiffany had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the neck. Don had been shot several times—in his left hand, both shoulders, chest, and forehead. Both died at the scene.
¶ 9 On Monday, August 29, Hardy turned himself in to police. He was indicted on two counts of first degree murder, first degree burglary, attempted kidnapping of Tiffany, and kidnapping of Meleigha. The State later dropped the attempted kidnapping charge. Hardy testified at trial and admitted that he shot Tiffany and Don, but claimed that he committed manslaughter in the heat of passion, not first degree murder.
¶ 10 The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts and found two aggravating circumstances under A.R.S. § 13–751:(F)(2) (prior serious offense), and (F)(8) (multiple homicides). After finding Hardy’s mitigation not sufficiently substantial to call for leniency, the jury determined that death was the appropriate sentence for each of the murders. The trial court also sentenced Hardy to two consecutive sentences of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after twenty-five years for the kidnapping and burglary convictions.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/az-supreme-court/1609435.html
