NowWire · AI-assisted reporting summary · October 3, 2026 UTC
The 2015 murder of 31-year-old Allison Feldman in her Scottsdale, Arizona, home is the focus of a new ABC 20/20 episode titled Home Alone, according to reporting by ABC News and ABC15. Feldman was found dead by her boyfriend on Feb. 18, 2015, after she had been strangled and suffered blunt force trauma. Investigators recovered an unknown male DNA profile from the crime scene, but the case went cold for years after local neighborhood and acquaintance samples failed to yield a match. [1] [2]
According to ABC News, family persistence eventually led to a breakthrough when relatives learned about familial DNA during a trip abroad and urged state officials to review its use. Prosecutors utilized the forensic technique for the first time in Arizona history, which pointed investigators to Mark Mitcham and subsequently led them to test his brother, Ian Mitcham. Ian Mitcham's DNA matched the crime scene sample, resulting in his arrest and subsequent trial. [1]
A jury found Ian Mitcham guilty of first-degree murder, sexual assault, and burglary on April 9, 2026, receiving a prison sentence for the sexual assault and burglary charges while the Maricopa County Attorney's office plans to retry the penalty phase. Defense attorneys at trial unsuccessfully pointed toward another former person of interest, and Mitcham is currently appealing his conviction. [1]
Sources
- How familial DNA led to conviction in Arizona woman’s violent murder — 2026-10-02T12:48:28.000Z
- Scottsdale murder case the focus of new ABC 20/20 episode — 2026-10-02T07:21:38-0700