Young Man Charged With His Grandmother’s Murder

By Linda Kor
   A young Greasewood man has been charged with the murder of his grandmother in Holbrook early last Saturday evening.
   At 5:14 p.m. on Sept. 26 a 14-year-old girl contacted the Holbrook Police Department to report a domestic dispute in the 1000 block of East Florida Street. The caller informed the dispatcher that her cousin was “beating up” her grandmother. When police arrived moments later, they discovered that the grandmother, Rose Ann Long, approximately 65 years of age, had been stabbed several times. She was air evacuated to Flagstaff Medical Center, where she later died from her wounds.
   According to Police Chief Mark Jackson, the assailant was Long’s grandson, 19-year-old Marcus David Joe of Greasewood. Joe, a former student at Holbrook High School, had apparently gotten into an argument with his grandmother, then pulled a knife and repeatedly stabbed her.
   “Once Long was incapacitated he went after the 14-year-old girl, who had barricaded herself in the bathroom. Joe believed that he needed to eliminate the girl as a witness to what he had just done,” stated Jackson.
   The girl hid in the bathroom until Joe broke through the door and attacked her, but she proved to be more than he could handle. She fought against Joe as he stabbed her, and was finally able to break free and run out the front door where she was met by Holbrook Police Officer David Kishbaugh.
   Joe chased after the girl still wielding his knife and ran directly into the officer, who had already drawn his firearm. Joe dropped his weapon after being told to by the officer and was taken into custody without further incident.
   The girl was transported to Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow, where she was treated for her wounds, which were not life threatening.
   Joe was charged with first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a dangerous crime against a child, and aggravated assault with serious physical injury, a dangerous crime against a child.
   “We don’t know why he did what he did,” said Jackson. “We do know that his grandmother was talking with him regarding his drug and alcohol use at the time of the incident.”
   Although blood samples were taken for analysis, there were reportedly no obvious signs that Joe was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.
   “The suspect showed no remorse for what he had done, but at this time we have no known motive for the crime,” said Jackson.
   The investigation is being conducted by the Navajo County Homicide Task Force, a newly organized group consisting of professionals from each of the law enforcement agencies of Navajo County.