Jordan Antonio Sullivan, Shooting Death, Arizona 2020

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Jordan Antonio Sullivan, 24, of Sacaton, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced last week to 25 years in federal prison for the cold-blooded shooting death of a man in March 2020. U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi handed down the sentence, which includes five years of supervised release following Sullivan’s term behind bars. Sullivan previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder and Using a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

The attack occurred on March 23, 2020, when Sullivan shot the victim in the neck with a shotgun in a calculated, execution-style assault. After the initial blast, Sullivan walked over to the wounded man and slammed the butt of the weapon into the back of his head. Not done, he stole the victim’s car and deliberately ran over the man’s body, ensuring he was dead. The crime scene, marked by shell casings and tire impressions, painted a picture of ruthless overkill.

Sullivan will begin the 25-year federal sentence only after completing an 18-year state prison term for a separate murder conviction. That case, CR-2020-116748-001, stems from another killing in April 2020—further underscoring a pattern of violent criminal conduct. The stacking of state and federal time signals a life effectively lost to incarceration.

Federal prosecutors emphasized the brutality of the crime during sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, who handled the prosecution in the District of Arizona, Phoenix, described Sullivan’s actions as beyond mere retaliation—this was murder amplified by cruelty. The use of a firearm in a violent crime triggered federal jurisdiction, allowing for enhanced penalties under U.S. law.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Gila River Police Department and the FBI, agencies that combed through physical evidence, witness statements, and forensic reports to build the case. Their collaboration led to Sullivan’s identification, arrest, and eventual guilty plea—avoiding a trial but not leniency in sentencing.

The case, docketed as CR-22-00652-PHX-MTL, closed with a finality that brings little comfort to the victim’s family. With a release number of 2023-010_Sullivan, the U.S. Department of Justice marks another violent offender off the streets—for now. But in the dust-choked corridors of Sacaton and beyond, the memory of the crime lingers like cordite in the air.

Related Federal Cases