Man who killed and dismembered Chandler woman learns his fate in court | Crime Files

Man to spend decades in prison for Chandler woman's murder

Timothy Sullivan, who was found guilty of killing and dismembering a woman back in 2020, learned his fate in court on December 6.

(WARNING: Some of what you're about to read could be deemed disturbing. Discretion is advised)

PHOENIX - A man who was found guilty of murdering a Phoenix woman whose remains were found near the Salt River bottom in Phoenix will spend decades in prison.

Here's what to know about the case.

Who's the murderer?

Man sentenced for the death of Amy Leagans

A man was sentenced for more than three decades for murder and attempting to hide a woman's body parts in Arizona. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has more.

Court documents identified the man as Timothy Sullivan.

Sullivan was found guilty in connection with the murder of Amy "Ruby" Leagans on September 3, 2024.

What happened?

Per previous court documents, the case dates back to late October 2020, when the victim's mother called police on October 27, and said the victim had not been heard from since October 21. Eventually, police were able to confirm that Leagans was last seen alive on October 14.

Leagans, according to police, moved from Illinois to Arizona just months prior, in June or July of 2020. Leagans, along with Sullivan and a friend of the victim, were living in an apartment in Chandler.

Investigators say Sullivan was suspected of being involved in Leagans' case due to "his violent criminal history of domestic violence related offenses." Sullivan's car was later found parked on the driveway of a Scottsdale home on Nov. 10, 2020, and while officers were trying to contact Sullivan, they "noticed a bottle of bleach, latex gloves, a scrub brush, bed sheets, pillowcases and a duffle bag in his vehicle."

When Sullivan arrived at the home, investigators said he was questioned about the victim, and Sullivan said he and the victim met at a halfway house, but "could not remember what the residence was called or where it was."

On November 11, 2020, court documents state a search warrant was executed at a home in Scottsdale, where detectives found an area within the backyard that had been raked, and lightly covered with mulch.

"This area was unearthed and pieces of burned clothing, human hair, a bracelet and a tag (size 6) for an article of women's clothing [were] located," read a portion of the court documents, while noting that an unidentified person who lives at the home alone does not wear size 6, and that many of the items found smelled "of an accelerate similar to lighter fluid."

Officials say human blood was also found on the victim's mattress, on the back seat of her car, and on a pillow that was found in Sullivan's vehicle.

On the morning of November 17, 2020, officers responded to an area near Central Avenue and the Salt River for a dead body.

"The body was that of a nearly skeletonized female that was inside a black plastic bag and covered with mulch. The body showed signs of trauma and was dismembered," read a portion of the court documents.

Investigators say the body was confirmed as that of Leagans by the Medical Examiner's Office on November 19.

Sullivan, according to police, was taken into custody on November 25, 2020.

What did Sullivan tell investigators?

In an interview that happened after Sullivan was read his Miranda rights, he said he was at the victim's home when she started to yell at him.

"This yelling continued throughout the night until Sullivan stated that he snapped. Sullivan stated that he choked the victim until she stopped breathing. The victim laid dead in the apartment for two days," read a portion of the court documents.

Sullivan, per investigators, said he later returned to the apartment, wrapped Leagans in a tarp, and buried her in the backyard of the Scottsdale home.

"He then became worried and exhumed her body. He then dismembered her body," investigators wrote.