PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A man will spend two decades in prison after being convicted of shooting another resident at a Phoenix group home over two years ago.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that Michael Lanunziata, 37, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shooting death of Joseph Lephiew.
“This was not self-defense — it was a deadly and unjustified act of violence inside a place where people should have felt safe,” Mitchell said in a statement. “The defendant chose to bring a gun into that home, escalate a conflict, and take a life. Today’s [Monday’s] sentence holds him accountable, but nothing can undo the harm caused to the victim and everyone affected by this crime.”
The deadly shooting happened at a home near 43rd Avenue and Encanto Boulevard on the night of Jan. 25, 2024. Investigators say five men lived at the home, which was being used for transitional living. Lanunziata and Lephiew lived together for a year leading up to the shooting…