12/22 Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane says 49-year-old Taj Andre Stephens was found guilty by a jury of 1-st Degree Murder, Robbery, 2-nd Degree Burglary, Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Narcotic Drug. In November, 2023, Stephens called Prescott Police and reported he had shot 2-people. Officers found a 29-year-old woman, who was with Stephens, and a 24-year-old man shot. The investigation determined Stephens and the victims were using drugs together when the male victim asked Stephans and the woman to leave after discovering a gun and 10-grams of cocaine were missing. A fight ensued at which time Stephens shot the male suspect. The bullet traveled through the man and struck the woman. The male victim died on scene; the woman survived. The woman recently pleaded guilty to Manslaughter for her role in the thefts that lead to the shooting and faces 5-to-7-years in prison when sentenced. Stephens faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25-years when he’s sentenced in February.
