Random Recreational Violence: Phoenix's Serial Shooters

Samuel Dieteman's confession made his trial a relatively simple one. His guilt was clear, and it was only his punishment that needed to be determined.

His family and friends described him as a hapless addict. His lawyer, Maria Schaffer, helped establish that he'd been bullied by the domineering Hausner. He regretted not turning Hausner in earlier, Dieteman told the jury, but he was afraid that if he quit the game his friend would shoot him or burn his parents' house down.

But Dieteman had killed one person, was present when Hausner killed another, and he had wounded three other people. On July 29, 2009, a jury under Maricopa County Superior Judge Roland Steinle sentenced him to life without parole, but spared him the death penalty.