What began as a desperate medical emergency call in a northeastern Phoenix residential neighborhood has shifted into a homicide investigation after a 61-year-old woman died from severe injuries sustained underneath a vehicle.
Kiersten Fabiani passed away on October 18, 2026, exactly 10 days after police first discovered her trapped and badly hurt in the backyard of a home near 40th Street and Greenway Road. Officers initially arrived at the scene at approximately 11:15 a.m. on October 8 following reports of an injured person.
The Shift From Injury Call to Homicide Investigation
Investigators examining the trauma concluded that her wounds were directly consistent with an assault rather than a structural or vehicular accident. That medical determination prompted the Phoenix Police Department to reclassify the case as a homicide.
Detectives with the Phoenix Police Department Homicide Unit are actively working to identify and locate a suspect in the attack. As of late October, authorities have not released a suspect description, a stated motive, or any specific details regarding the mechanism of the assault.
A Familiar Corridor for Investigators
The neighborhood surrounding 40th Street and Greenway Road sits squarely within the Paradise Valley Village planning area, a largely residential stretch of northeastern Phoenix. This particular corridor is no stranger to unsettled police files. In June 2022, 36-year-old Michelle Bernstein-Schultz vanished from a nearby apartment complex in an incident that remains unresolved.
Investigators are now leaning heavily on the community to bridge the ten-day gap between the initial October 8 discovery and Fabiani’s death. Authorities urge anyone who witnessed suspicious activity near the intersection on the morning of October 8 to step forward.
How to Provide Anonymous Tips
The Phoenix Police Department asks anyone with relevant information to contact them directly. Alternatively, community members wishing to remain anonymous can utilize the Silent Witness program, which has operated in the area since 1979 using privately funded resources.
Tips can be submitted by calling 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377) for English speakers, or 480-TESTIGO (480-837-8446) for Spanish speakers. The program offers cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest or indictment in felony homicide cases. Under Arizona State Legislature statutes, first-degree murder is classified as a Class 1 felony punishable by death or life imprisonment.
