PHOENIX — This past February marked 10 years since Allison Feldman was found dead in her Scottsdale home.
It would be years until an arrest was made, and the case that followed marked the first of its kind for Arizona. But a decade later, the case still hasn't made it to trial.
A battle over DNA evidence has stalled the case.
After the Arizona Supreme Court decided it could be used at trial, suspect Ian Mitcham and his team appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Monday, the request for review was denied.
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LOOK BACK AT DNA BATTLE
In 2015, people in the Scottsdale community were left scared after Allison was found brutally murdered in her Scottsdale home near Loop 101 and Pima Road.
Police said Feldman died of head trauma. According to court documents, she was found nude and her body smelled of bleach.
Her case marked the first in Arizona where familial DNA was used to help track down Mitcham.
Despite the 2018 arrest, court documents stated investigators couldn't find a connection between Allison and Mitcham.
Just before trial, a judge tossed out Mitcham's DNA sample and said it couldn't be used as evidence because it was collected as part of an unrelated DUI case.
The lower court said it shouldn't have been available for testing. According to court documents, the testing process was done without a warrant.
But then, an appeals court reversed that decision.
The Arizona Supreme Court listened to oral arguments in late September and announced a decision in December.
The Arizona justices said the warrantless search did violate Mitcham's Fourth Amendment rights, but believed police would have inevitably obtained his DNA lawfully since Mitcham is now a twice-convicted felon.
ABC15 asked Allison's dad if he ever expected to wait this long for some kind of finality with the case.
"I had no expectation, and I think the court system works, but it works on its own pace," said Harley.
SUPREME COURT DECISION
Following the State Supreme Court's decision, a new October court date was set.
Court dates in Maricopa County continued for Mitcham as the U.S. Supreme Court received filings from his attorneys and the State Attorney General's Office.
The justices considered the case on Friday, April 25, and their decision was posted on Monday. The Court denied Mitcham's request.
ABC15 is reaching out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, the State Attorney General's Office, Mitcham's legal team, and Feldman's family for comment on the decision.
