Prosecutors to drop charges against man in bizarre Phoenix hotel murder
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The state plans to dismiss charges against a man accused of killing his longtime girlfriend in a ritzy Phoenix hotel during the Fourth of July holiday last year.
This has been a bizarre case from the start, involving alleged demons, the man reportedly running naked in the hotel lobby, and the victim mysteriously found dead.
As most people celebrated the Fourth of July late into the night last year, an odd and tragic story was unfolding inside the Renaissance Phoenix Hotel in downtown Phoenix, where 28-year-old Desiree Serpas was found murdered.
The problem now? The case is headed toward dismissal.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said there isn’t enough evidence to convict Dominque Jackson for the murder of Serpas, his longtime girlfriend and mother of his kids.
Even though there is DNA in this case, experts said it’s likely too hard to prove who in the room was actually responsible for the fatal shot.
“There was plenty of reasonable doubt in this particular case,” said Tom Ryan, a Phoenix-area attorney unaffiliated with the case.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office plans to dismiss the second-degree murder charge against Jackson due to no reasonable likelihood of conviction.
Investigators said the couple met two women from Casa Grande who were here for a pool party and ended up in the hotel room with one of them.
That woman from Casa Grande reportedly told detectives she later woke up and thought Jackson was passed out on the floor, but it was Serpas, dead from a gunshot wound to her neck.
“There’s inconclusive evidence on who pulled the trigger, how it happened, was it done with malice and intent?” said Ryan.
Meanwhile, court records show Jackson had gone down to the hotel lobby naked and told security guards there were demons in his hotel room, that “she was a demon,” and that security needed to check the room.
“You have a very strong potential claim of mental insanity as a defense in this case,” said Ryan.
Documents showed there were gunshot residue particles found on Jackson’s shirt and another particle found on the other woman in the room.
It also showed there was “significant DNA” on the gun from both Jackson and Serpas herself.
Criminal defense attorney Louis Fidel, unaffiliated with the case, said that’s direct evidence but likely doesn’t provide enough answers to get a conviction at trial.
“What it tells you is that DNA is there, but it doesn’t tell you how it got there or how long it’s been there,” said Fidel. “If you try to have a trial and the person is acquitted, well, that’s it. You don’t get to come back and do it again.”
When Jackson went to court for the first time, the judge gave him the lowest bond for murder the court had ever set, citing there was barely evidence of a homicide.
Both attorneys said this leaves Serpas’ children and family in a terrible spot, fighting for justice that may never come.
“The fact that there isn’t a criminal resolution is very unsatisfying to everybody, but most especially the victim’s family,” said Ryan.
The state did motion to dismiss without prejudice, which means if new evidence becomes available to detectives that strengthens the case, they can refile the murder charge.
Fidel said Serpas’ family could pursue a civil lawsuit in this case as another means toward justice.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
