An Arizona man will serve nearly two decades in prison for fatally stabbing his wife just weeks into their marriage, in what prosecutors called an “act of betrayal.”
Stephen Dennis, 38, was sentenced to 18 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Aliccia Grant. The killing happened in the early hours of September 9 in a Home Depot parking lot in north Phoenix.
Witnesses told police they heard screams for help before finding Grant inside her red Toyota Prius, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Dennis, who had been in the passenger seat, exited the vehicle, argued with a bystander, and fled the scene with a bag.
As first responders worked to save her, Grant made a dying declaration, identifying Dennis as her attacker. She was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
Not long after, Dennis called 911 to confess. He told dispatchers he had stabbed his wife and revealed where police could find the murder weapon.
Prosecutors said the attack followed an argument about an annulment. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office condemned the crime as a profound breach of trust. “This wasn’t just a violent crime — it was an act of betrayal carried out by someone who should have been a source of safety, not fear,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.
Grant, remembered as a devoted mother of two, left behind grieving children, family, and friends. A GoFundMe page described her as a dreamer with “endlessly hopeful energy,” a self-made entrepreneur, cosmetologist, author, and model who embodied resilience and determination.
Dennis’ sentencing closes the legal case, but the tragedy underscores ongoing concerns about domestic violence in Arizona and across the U.S.
