MEDIA RELEASE BY THE TEMPE POLICE DEPARTMENT
After a nearly three week trial, 39 year old Daniel Gukeisen was found guilty of Manslaughter in the vicious stabbing death of 22 year old Garrett Hohn.
On September 26th, 2008 at approximately 2:00 AM, the Tempe Police Department received an emergency ‘911’ call reporting unknown trouble in the 400 block of West 1st Street, Tempe.
Police officers responded immediately, and located a critically injured male in his early twenties with multiple stab wounds to his body. The victim was identified as Garrett Hohn. Hohn was transported to a local trauma center where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 2:46 am.
Investigation by Tempe detectives revealed that Hohn and a friend were walking home from the Mill Avenue Downtown District when they became involved in a verbal argument with Gukeisen. The verbal altercation turned physical and Hohn was stabbed to death by Gukeisen.
Chief of Police Tom Ryff stated, “Fighting crime will always be firmly grounded in good police work and hours upon hours of diligent investigation in order to secure eventual prosecution. The Tempe Police Department has a great relationship with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Convictions resulting from the stellar work of investigators assure that violent offenders will not be able to continue to prey on our communities.”
“I commend the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners at the Tempe Police Department and I am especially grateful that together we were able to hold this offender accountable for his brutal crime and ensure that justice was served in this case,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “The taking of an innocent life threatens the safety of the entire community, which is why we will spare no effort in prosecuting these crimes.”
This investigation, arrest and conviction demonstrate the Tempe Police Department’s commitment to our number one goal of fighting crime in our community. We want to thank the men and women of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for their partnership, and for working so diligently and tirelessly to obtain this conviction.
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