Court filings indicate what caused a woman to plunge to her death in a speeding car on Mount Lemmon this weekend.
On Saturday, July 20, William Nathaniel Holloway abducted his girlfriend Debra Murrieta, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Murrieta called 911 at 6:20 p.m., saying the 36-year-old Holloway was driving recklessly and refused to allow her out of the car. She also mentioned they were going to Mount Lemmon.
According to court filings, the 54-year-old Murrieta was heard crying and pleading with Holloway to pull over and let her out. Deputies located the vehicle and attempted to get Holloway to stop, but he refused. He was able to maneuver and escape the spike strips laid by the PCSD on Catalina Highway.
Murrieta died after jumping out of the vehicle at 6:50 p.m.
According to the Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, an organization that assists domestic abuse victims, Murrieta’s actions demonstrate how dangerous DV situations can be.
“Having someone willing to jump out of a moving vehicle speaks to the danger inside,” said Emerge Center CEO Ed Sakwa. “Nobody would do that if they didn’t think that what was going to happen to them as they left the vehicle was somehow better for them, safer for them than staying in the vehicle, and that’s a pretty extreme statement to make.”
Around 7:20 p.m., Holloway was apprehended and arrested. The PCSD reported that Holloway reached speeds of up to 45 mph on the mountain.
According to the PCSD, Holloway had indicators of impairment, and drug paraphernalia was discovered in his vehicle.
Holloway explained that he and Murrieta had been living together but were having relationship problems.
He claimed he never noticed any of the PCSD vehicles attempting to stop him, but Murrieta had been asking him to let her out.
Holloway stated that he saw Murrieta jump off the truck and never stop. He said he took roughly 20 fentanyl pills.
Sakwa stated that while drugs do not cause domestic violence, they can exacerbate it.
“We know that that is a recipe for disaster, we know that the rate of lethality of injury and death skyrocket when those things are at play,” says Sakwa.
Holloway told authorities he was recovering from a previous crash when he collided with a light pole. He admitted to facing a DUI charge for that incident.
Holloway faces many felony counts in connection with Saturday’s horrific incident, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unauthorized flight from an officer.
Holloway, who has a Pima County criminal record dating back to 2008, is being held on a $750,000 bond. He has been convicted of armed robbery, third-degree burglary, attempted fraud, and trafficking stolen items.
If you are experiencing domestic violence or know someone who is, please call 520-795-4266 or 1-888-428-0101.