Matricide case upgraded to first-degree murder charge

KINGMAN – A Mesa woman has been newly indicted in the alleged strangulation slaying of her mother, Brenda Marshall, 71, Kingman. The original indictment of Gabrielle Axon, 52, is dismissed after the defendant entered another not guilty plea during her January 22 arraignment for the new indictment.
“We did get additional evidence that warranted going back to the Grand Jury,” deputy Mohave County Attorney Karolina Czaplinska informed judge Doug Camacho.
The difference between the two indictments is an upgrade of the homicide charge from second to first-degree murder. Other theft, fraud and taking the identity of another counts are duplicated in the new and dismissed charging documents.
The arraignment featured victim input from Sarah Marshall, sister of the defendant. Marshall said she was speaking against the defendant on behalf of herself, three other siblings and the victim’s 13 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
“Gabrielle killed, robbed and stolen from our mother,” Marshall said. “She drove all over everywhere with our mother’s body in her vehicle.”
Marshall told the Court that the family is devastated by the loss of the family matriarch. She asked that her “cold-hearted killer” sister be held on the highest bond possible to protect society.
Judge Camacho ordered that the defendant, who is currently serving prison time on an unrelated Maricopa County case, shall be held without bond.
Authorities allege Marshall was killed in Kingman before Axon loaded her body into Marshall’s SUV. Axon allegedly drove to Mesa and parked and abandoned the vehicle and her mother’s remains.
The victim’s body was located in a plastic tote in the SUV that was parked on Main St. in Mesa. The tote was lidless, but the matching lid was reportedly located during a search of the victim’s Kingman residence.
The Axon case is next set for a January 30 pretrial conference and a February 19 evidentiary hearing.
Dave Hawkins