An Arizona man, convicted of the brutal stabbing of his newlywed wife in a Home Depot parking lot in 2024, has finally faced the consequences of his actions. On Monday, August 18th, Stephen Dennis, aged 36, was handed down an 18-year prison sentence for the tragic murder of his spouse, Aliccia Grant, a 37-year-old mother of two, as announced by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. Earlier this year, Dennis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
"This was not merely a heinous act of violence; it was a betrayal perpetuated by someone who ought to have been a beacon of safety, not a harbinger of fear," Mitchell stated in a press release. "There is an inherent cruelty in a murder that occurs within a relationship premised on trust. We remain committed to relentlessly pursuing and bringing violent domestic abusers to justice."
The harrowing incident unfolded on the early morning of September 9, 2024, when the Phoenix Police Department responded to a call regarding a stabbing outside a Home Depot in north Phoenix. "Nearby witnesses heard a woman's desperate cries for help and discovered the victim, Aliccia Grant, slumped in the driver's seat of a red Prius, riddled with stab wounds," detailed Mitchell in the release.
Dennis, who occupied the front passenger seat, exited the vehicle, engaged in an altercation with a bystander, and then absconded on foot after seizing a bag from the car, according to witnesses cited in Mitchell's statement. Both witnesses and officers rushed to provide assistance to Grant.
"While an officer was applying pressure to the victim's wounds, she made a dying declaration, identifying Dennis as her assailant," Mitchell recounted. Grant was hastily transported to a nearby hospital, where she sadly succumbed to her injuries.
Immediately following the incident, Dennis hastily dialed 911, where he candidly confessed to the stabbing of his wife, as disclosed by Mitchell in the official statement. Furthermore, he revealed the precise location of the murder weapon, which authorities were able to promptly secure. Dennis also imparted to the police that, although the couple had recently exchanged vows, they were in the midst of contemplating an annulment when the tragic event unfolded.
As Dennis commences his sentence at the Arizona Department of Corrections, Grant's family is immersed in grief over their immense loss. On a GoFundMe page established to cover funeral expenses and support Grant's two children, aged 10 and 16, her family penned, "Though Aliccia was tragically taken from us far too soon, her boundless optimism left an indelible mark of inspiration on all who knew and cherished her. She will forever be remembered as a devoted daughter, sister, cousin, and friend, but above all, as an exceptional mother to her two beloved children."
