A Phoenix man who once walked free after claiming self-defense in a deadly shooting has now been sentenced to 20 years in prison — after the same defense failed him a second time.
Who Is He?
Michael Lanunziata, 38, of Phoenix, Arizona, was found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury and sentenced Monday.
What Happened?
On Jan. 25, 2024, police responded to a group home in Phoenix after reports of a shooting. Inside, they found Joseph Lephiew dead from multiple gunshot wounds on the staircase.
When officers arrived, Lanunziata jumped out a window and climbed onto the roof, where he spoke with first responders before coming down.
His Defense — And Why It Failed
Lanunziata claimed Lephiew, who was unarmed, had come at him. But his story kept changing.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Lanunziata had manufactured a version of events to fit his self-defense claim. Physical evidence at the scene directly contradicted his account.
This Was Not His First Time
This was the second time Lanunziata used a self-defense claim after killing someone.
Back in 2016, Lanunziata shot and killed another housemate, Lamar Reid Jr., in Henderson, Nevada. He claimed self-defense that time too — and prosecutors dropped the charges.
This time, the jury did not believe him.
The Sentence
Lanunziata will spend the next 20 years in prison for the murder of Joseph Lephiew.
Mitchell called the killing a “deadly and unjustified act of violence inside a place where people should have felt safe.”
— Coverage by thecmeaglet.com
