Rodney Hardy was sentenced to death by the State of Arizona for a double murder. According to court documents Rodney Hardy and his common law wife Tiffany Lien were at a party when they were involved in a physical argument and Tiffany Lien decided to leave with a friend and Don Stanciel. Two days later Rodney Hardy would go over to where Tiffany and waited for her friend to come out. When the friend did she was forced at gunpoint to enter the apartment where Rodney Hardy would find Tiffany Lien and Don Stanciel in bed, sleeping, and proceeded to shoot both of them causing their deaths. Rodney Hardy would turn himself into police two days later, was convicted and sentenced to death.
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ASPC Florence, Central Unit
PO Box 8200
RODNEY E. HARDY 045659
Florence, AZ 85132
United States
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Rodney Hardy was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of Tiffany Lien and Don Stanciel. Hardy and Lien lived together for more than 2 years during their relationship. Rodney was the owner of a limousine service and a regular at the strip club where Lien worked. According to police records, Hardy physically abused Lien on August 26, 2005. Lien decided to leave and party with a stripper girlfriend and Stanciel. Hardy called Lien several times asking her to come back home, and on one of those calls Stanciel took the phone from Lien and told Hardy she was with him now. In the early hours of August 28, Hardy drove to the apartment complex where Lien’s friend lived and when the friend came out to buy something at the vending machine, Hardy grabbed her and forced her to take him to her apartment. Hardy kicked in the bedroom door and found Lien and Stanciel sleeping and shot them both to death. Two days later, Hardy turned himself in to Tempe Police
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On Thursday, August 25, 2005, Hardy’s wife Tiffany Lien called her friend Meleigha and said she needed a place to stay.2 Meleigha told Tiffany that she could move in with her, but Tiffany did not stay with her that night.
¶ 3 The next day, Hardy slapped Tiffany, and she left their apartment. That afternoon, Hardy asked his son to keep Hardy’s gun because “he didn’t need any drama,” but Hardy retrieved the gun that night. Hardy also went to a club that evening and told the bartender, “my baby is gone,” and he “could kill them both.” That same night, Tiffany went out with Meleigha, Julius, and Don. Tiffany and Don were romantically involved.
¶ 4 Hardy left a message on Meleigha’s cell phone shortly after midnight on Saturday, August 27, saying that he knew where Tiffany was, whom she was with, and what vehicle they were driving. When Hardy called again, Meleigha handed the phone to Tiffany, and Hardy and Tiffany argued. During that call or a subsequent one, Tiffany handed the phone to Don, who also argued with Hardy.
¶ 5 Later that weekend, Hardy visited his friend Krystal. He was intoxicated and upset, saying “she’s gone and I don’t know what to do,” and “it’s too late for her to come back.”
¶ 6 On Sunday, August 28, shortly after midnight, Meleigha, Julius, Tiffany, and Don went to Meleigha’s apartment. Eventually, Meleigha and Julius went to Meleigha’s bedroom, and Tiffany and Don went to a second bedroom further down the hall.
¶ 7 At approximately 4 a.m., Meleigha went outside and downstairs to a vending machine. While she was there, Hardy came up behind her and then pushed her up the stairs and into her apartment. He followed and headed down the hallway. When Hardy paused at the first bedroom door, Meleigha shouted, “That’s my boyfriend.” Hardy continued to the second bedroom, opened the door, cocked a gun, and started shooting. Julius and Meleigha ran out of the apartment, hearing several shots as they fled.
¶ 8 When police arrived at Meleigha’s apartment, Tiffany and Don were unresponsive. Tiffany had been shot twice, once in the head and once in the neck. Don had been shot several times—in his left hand, both shoulders, chest, and forehead. Both died at the scene.
¶ 9 On Monday, August 29, Hardy turned himself in to police. He was indicted on two counts of first degree murder, first degree burglary, attempted kidnapping of Tiffany, and kidnapping of Meleigha. The State later dropped the attempted kidnapping charge. Hardy testified at trial and admitted that he shot Tiffany and Don, but claimed that he committed manslaughter in the heat of passion, not first degree murder.
¶ 10 The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts and found two aggravating circumstances under A.R.S. § 13–751:(F)(2) (prior serious offense), and (F)(8) (multiple homicides). After finding Hardy’s mitigation not sufficiently substantial to call for leniency, the jury determined that death was the appropriate sentence for each of the murders. The trial court also sentenced Hardy to two consecutive sentences of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after twenty-five years for the kidnapping and burglary convictions.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/az-supreme-court/1609435.html
