Phoenix police Tuesday arrested five people in the shocking deaths of Lawrence and Glenna Shapiro, who were found tied up and burned beyond recognition on Jan. 30 in their home in the Paradise Valley suburb of Phoenix.
Lawrence Jay Shapiro worked for 45 years as a gastroenterologist. Glenna Shapiro (née Jones) was teaching elementary school in Phoenix when she met Lawrence, who was on his way to becoming a medical doctor. The couple married in 1960 and had three children.
In 2010 they established the Glenna & Lawrence Shapiro Family Foundation, supporting health, welfare, environmental, and cultural organizations.
A murder weapon and stolen property have been recovered, and one of the suspects – Michael Lee Crane – is facing two murder charges, police Chief John Bennett told reporters Tuesday. Four other suspects face theft or trafficking in stolen property charges.
Officers went to the couple’s sprawling home the morning of Jan. 30 after Phoenix police found their car on fire behind a strip mall about 20 miles away.
When an officer arrived at the house, she saw smoke coming from inside. Firefighters put out fires that had been set in two bedrooms, including the master bedroom, where the Shapiros’ bodies were discovered. The couple had to be positively identified using dental records.