A woman carried her infant son while she and her husband assaulted an elderly woman, stealing her motor home before heading to Canada.
It was July 1999 when Paul Pilipow, his wife Cherie and their infant son were asked to leave a retirement community in Apache Junction because they did not meet the age restriction.
They later devised a plan to steal a motor home and return home to Canada. They found the perfect situation when they looked through an ”RV Trader" magazine and found a motor home being sold by 68-year-old Eloise Doyle who was selling her RV due to illness.
They planned to lure Eloise into the motor home to kidnap her
On July 7 they bought pepper spray and duct tape as they planned to lure Eloise into the motor home to kidnap her, leave her in the desert and then head to Canada.
They met Eloise that afternoon at her home in Surprise. Paul hid the pepper spray in his pants while Cherie concealed the duct tape in the baby's diaper bag. Paul lured the victim into the back of the motor home where he pepper sprayed her and then taped her wrists and ankles. While Cherie and their son watched Ms. Doyle, Paul went into the home and stole credit cards and money.
While Ms. Doyle pleaded for mercy, Cherie responded, telling her to, "Shut up, or she would get hurt." Cherie stuffed paper towels into her mouth in an attempt to keep her quiet. When Paul arrived, he covered her eyes and mouth with duct tape.
As they drove to Apache Junction, Paul motioned for Cherie to return home as she was driving a truck they had stolen from a Ford dealership a few days before.
Paul continued driving to a desert area near Canyon Lake where he hit Ms. Doyle on the head and then ran her over with the motor home. He later returned to the desert scene where he set her body on fire.
The couple was stopped in Pueblo, Colo., for a traffic violation when officials realized they were traveling in a stolen motor home and had other possessions belonging to the victim inside the RV.
After her arrest, Cherie told investigators that, "Paul had basically barbecued the victim," and "she was actually relieved that Paul had killed 'the old lady.'" Cherie would later say those statements were made in shock and she was still trying to protect her husband.
Cherie Pilipow pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and today she remains in Perryville Prison. She is eligible for release in 2024. Paul Pilipow was convicted of first-degree murder and was given a life sentence.
