Supermarket shopper used paring knife he just bought to stab a stranger to death after they 'exchanged words' outside as they 'passed each other'

An Arizona antheral is headed to prison for utilizing a paring knife that helium had conscionable bought from a Safeway market store to stab a alien to decease aft they "exchanged words" arsenic they "passed each other" outside, tribunal documents say.

Damian Mitchell, 48, was convicted and sentenced to 25 years successful situation this week for the December 2024 slaying of Reminisce Biddle, 29, successful Phoenix, according to a Maricopa County Attorney's Office press release.

Mitchell was recovered blameworthy by a assemblage of second-degree murder.

"On December 29, 2024, Reminisce walked into a market store successful Phoenix, said helium had been stabbed, and collapsed," the attorney's bureau said. "Detectives learned that Mitchell and Reminisce had passed each different … and exchanged words. The suspect turned astir and followed the unfortunate down a building, wherever helium stabbed Reminisce erstwhile successful the chest."

A probable origin affidavit obtained by Law&Crime describes however Mitchell was caught connected camera entering the Safeway to acquisition a "3.5-inch paring knife" and a tin opener. He paid with a prepaid debit card.

"Surveillance video shows that conscionable earlier the stabbing, Mitchell was successful the aforesaid market store and bought a weapon that matched the victim's stab wound," the attorney's bureau said. "Because the suspect utilized a debit paper to pay, Phoenix Police detectives were capable to place him and stitchery further grounds to further nexus him to the murder."

After exiting the store, Mitchell and Biddle "passed each different and exchanged words," according to the affidavit. Mitchell followed Biddle for a fewer blocks and past attacked him down a adjacent building.

"This suspect chose to crook a little brushwood into a infinitesimal of violence, taking Reminisce's beingness and leaving his household and loved ones with irreparable loss," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell successful her office's property release.

After being tracked down done the debit card, Mitchell was arrested connected Jan. 5, 2025, and questioned astir what happened. "The suspect admitted helium entered the Safeway market store and purchased the knife," the affidavit says. "He stated helium near the Safeway and rode his bicycle to the country of what helium described arsenic the transgression scene."

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Mitchell tried to assertion that different idiosyncratic had asked to usage the paring weapon that helium purchased, stabbed Biddle with it, and past returned it to Mitchell aft the attack, according to the affidavit. Mitchell said helium discarded the weapon successful a parking batch aft seeing that determination was humor connected it.

A witnesser who saw the archetypal confrontation betwixt Mitchell and Biddle told constabulary that they saw Biddle being followed by Mitchell and "heard what sounded similar an altercation" aft the 2 of them went down the adjacent building.

"[The witness] observed Biddle clasp his thorax and permission the country westbound connected a bicycle, portion the fishy near eastbound connected his upland bike," the affidavit says.

"I'm thankful to authoritative Bernita Clark for getting justness for Reminisce and his family, and ensuring his slayer is held accountable," said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.