Police say Celestina Ertebati, 42, shot her husband, Sam Ertebati, 42, before taking her own life.
PHOENIX — Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide that left a married couple dead Sunday evening inside a home near the 2900 block of West Bell Road. Officers were dispatched at about 5:14 p.m. after a report of unknown trouble and found a man and woman unresponsive with a firearm nearby, officials said.
Authorities identified the victims Monday as Sam Ertebati and Celestina Ertebati, both 42. Detectives said early findings indicate the woman shot her husband and then herself. Phoenix Fire personnel pronounced them dead at the scene. Two children were inside the residence and later turned over to family members; they were not physically injured. Police said the investigation is ongoing and did not release a possible motive or any history of prior calls to the address. The case drew a rapid response from homicide detectives, who secured the home and spoke with relatives and neighbors into the night.
Investigators learned the children became concerned when their parents appeared to be sleeping late and contacted a family member, who went to the home and discovered the couple in the bedroom, according to police. Sgt. Jen Zak of the Phoenix Police Department said preliminary information points to a murder-suicide and emphasized that detectives are still working to determine what led up to the shootings. Officials collected a handgun and other evidence from the scene and conducted door-to-door interviews along West Bell Road to verify the timeline.
Residents on the block described a steady flow of kids playing outside the home most afternoons and pointed to a well-used basketball hoop in the driveway. A small memorial of candles and flowers began forming by nightfall as neighbors processed the news. Several said they had not seen law enforcement at the house before and were shocked by the discovery. One neighbor who declined to give a last name said Sam was friendly with families on the street and often had his garage open while the children played.
Police said the investigation will continue this week with additional witness interviews, a forensic review of the firearm, and coordination with the medical examiner for official cause and manner of death determinations. No further briefings were scheduled as of Monday evening. Officials said there is no known threat to the broader community and that the incident appears isolated to the home. Once detectives complete their report, the case will be closed as a homicide-suicide pending final autopsy results and evidence reviews.
As of Monday night, the couple had been publicly identified and detectives had confirmed the suspected sequence of events. The next update is expected after the medical examiner’s findings and additional interviews later this week.
Author note: Last updated January 20, 2026.