The final month of 2025 at the Pima County Attorney’s Office featured a celebration of victim support, a half-century in the making, a reflection on the past year, and more victories and challenges in serving justice for our region. Your December 2025 Community Newsletter has arrived!
As we wrap up our work for 2025, the Pima County Attorney’s Office looks back on the efforts we’ve made in turbulent times in Southern Arizona and across the United States.
Attorneys in our Civil Division joined forces with other affected cities in fighting to retain federal funds that support affordable housing, transportation projects, and our Health Department. A federal court has ordered Washington to pay an overdue invoice to the tune of $10 million, and we look forward to pursuing that debt in the New Year on behalf of county taxpayers.
Our prosecutors and support staff worked in the interest of justice in complex, high-profile cases, including the local prosecution of a man accused of homicide, who was taken out of local custody by federal agents, and held accountable those who would harm our smallest and youngest community members.
We welcomed new leaders at “The People’s Office,” with Chief Deputy County Attorney Kim Hunley returning to PCAO, where her career began, and Victim Services Director Sara Moody, who brings decades of Arizona advocacy into our building.
We said a sad farewell to one of our four-legged cohorts, retired Courthouse Dog Blake, and welcomed a new puppy, Jacob, to the Victim Services Unit.
We continued building connections with communities through our Communications and Outreach team by holding town halls and visiting businesses and neighborhood associations. We answered thousands of emails, phone calls, and requests for victim care.
Throughout 2025, we marked and celebrated the pioneering role PCAO played in the advent of victim support beginning in 1975. Fifty years later, our Victim Services Division continues to lead the way, including entering into a partnership with Emerge Center Against Domestic Violence that will continue on-call support for domestic violence victims after hours and on weekends.
We are looking forward to continuing our work and the pursuit of justice for the people of Pima County to make it a better and healthier place to live. May you have a wonderful and prosperous 2026.
On December 19th, the Pima County Attorney’s Office gave an update on a recent high-profile child exploitation case.
In addition to the case information released by the Tucson Police Department, PCAO outlined additional details regarding the suspects involved to help clarify the state of the case.
Samuel Noel Talavera is currently being held on a $1 million bond. Marcos Rene Lopez-Martinez has a $200k bond, and Saul Alejandro Murillo-Morales has a $300k bond. Ricky Evan Rodriguez posted a $25k bond and is now out of custody, and Nathanial Maximus Alvarez has posted a $50k bond and is also out of custody.
PCAO prosecutors asked for a $100k bond on Rodriguez, $500k on Morales, $100k on Alvarez, and $1 million on Martinez. The proposed bond amounts for the four local men were ultimately reduced by various judges. Prosecutors were able to successfully secure the $1 million bond they requested for Talavera. Generally speaking, bonds are typically based on a case-by-case analysis.
The four local men were arrested and indicted separately on various dates over the past few months. Once the investigation into Mr. Talavera’s case was completed, he was arrested by Tucson Police with the assistance of federal authorities in North Carolina and transported to Tucson.
On December 4th, a Pima County Grand Jury returned a new indictment that included Talavera and the four other men, consolidating the cases into one new case number (CR#). The four previous case numbers with the four local men were dismissed during that week as a matter of procedure.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office was pleased to welcome back veteran prosecutor Nanette Morrow to fill the vital post of Bureau Chief of the trial team that handles major crimes and narcotics
With more than two decades of experience in law, the former certified public accountant has returned to the office where her legal career began as a law clerk in 2003. Nanette’s path through PCAO included prosecuting misdemeanors, property crimes, and special victim cases, delivering justice to the most vulnerable of Pima County residents.
After joining a private civil law practice and then starting her own law firm, she returned to public service in 2010, working as a senior litigation counsel, prosecuting large, complex drug trafficking organizations for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
“I came back to PCAO to continue my public service to the community and to pass along my knowledge and experience through mentoring the new attorneys in the office,” she said shortly after returning to “The People’s Office” in late 2025.
“PCAO taught me how to be a lawyer, how to represent the community in an ethical and professional manner, and I wanted to come full circle and pass these same skills to the new generation of lawyers.”
We know that having Nanette in her new position bodes well for delivering justice in Pima County now and well into the future.
A close-up of the PCAO 50th anniversary booklet.
It was early in 2025 that the Communications Team here at “The People’s Office” noticed that the Victim Services Division had entered its 50th year of supporting victims and witnesses of crime in Pima County.
That sparked a whole lot of sifting through box after box of newspaper and magazine articles, official documents that shaped the division over the years, grateful letters sent to PCAO by members of Congress, and a few former U.S. Presidents that clearly showed how significantly this office shaped victim support across the United States and even in foreign countries.
To mark this landmark effort, we produced a 32-page glossy booklet with stories and photographs detailing the evolution of our Victim Services Division and the role it played in reshaping the criminal justice system from coast to coast.
Then, as the year drew closer to a conclusion, we curated an exhibit of some of the most meaningful archives, added a host of fabulous “memory boards” detailing every decade of the unit’s existence, and streamed the 1983 made-for-television movie “Night Partners” that was based on the work being done in Pima County.
County Attorney Laura Conover made an extra effort to bring as many of the people who have played a role in the half-century of victim support that she could locate.
“I had a thought that the archives on our first floor might be special, so I arranged for a private preview for the former administration and Victim Services Directors we could find,” Laura said. “Former County Attorney Barbara LaWall remarked that the 25th anniversary was a highlight of her career, and no doubt the 50th is now one of mine. I am blown away by the ‘museum’ that is down there.”
During an open house and news conference, Laura also introduced the newest leader of this trailblazing unit, Sara Moody.
In the minds of the PCAO Comms team who created that exhibit, the true heroes of the 50th anniversary celebration are those who paved the way for victim support, providing comfort and information that had not existed prior to former Pima County Attorney and U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini launching the effort in 1975.
The Pima County Attorney’s Victim Witness Division also welcomed Samantha Reuser as a new Victim Advocate Supervisor.
Sam joined the Victim Services Division in 2025 after a decade working with behavioral health non-profits that help children and families navigate mental health crises and advocate for appropriate services.
Upon arrival at PCAO, Sam quickly moved into a supervisory role, demonstrating her ability to lead and support fellow advocates. This experience, and having earned a master’s degree in forensic pathology from Arizona State University, has prepared her to lead a team of victim advocates who specialize in cases involving domestic violence.
When she’s not working on behalf of Pima County citizens, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her partner, their young child, and pets.
Our pioneering Victim Services Division is looking for new volunteers to help provide support to victims and witnesses of crimes in Pima County.
Over a half-century, PCAO’s Victim Services Division has relied on the work of trained volunteers to assist victims and witnesses from the time of the crime, through the legal process – including courtroom trials – and beyond the conclusion of cases.
Through October 2025, PCAO’s Victim Services Division assisted with more than 6,300 victims during the year, providing crisis response along with law enforcement, by phone, or through court advocacy. More than 50 members of the community have graduated from our 2025 volunteer training session.
If you would like to be part of this important and gratifying program, contact PCAO Communications Director Shawndrea Thomas at (520) 724-5738 or at shawndrea.thomas@pcao.pima.gov.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover released a video statement and explanation regarding recent federal law enforcement action in Tucson. Please see the video link below
County Attorney Conover speaking on immigration issues.
We recruit legal researchers, litigators, and professional staff who use their unique talents to move our Office forward. You’re invited to apply to work for a progressive prosecuting agency that values accountability, public service, and outcome-driven thinking.
We offer excellent work-life balance, great incentives, and a generous benefits package, including:
All open PCAO positions APPLY HERE
There are a variety of positions to apply for at PCAO
Here’s a look at some of the links to social media and podcast messages we’ve shared throughout the year.
All Podcast episodes are available here:
https://thepeoplesofficepodcast.podbean.com/
Social Media Posts:
Update on child exploitation case
The Pima County Attorney’s Office set up collection sites for food donations in our building throughout November and December to support families in need during the holiday season. Our collection was gathered and dropped off at a local food bank by PCAO detectives.
We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and look forward to what 2026 has in store. Here’s a look at some photos from our Christmas party and other holiday events in December.
Season’s Greetings from Arrow, Jacob, and Baja.
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