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Man Indicted on First-Degree Murder Charge in 2023 Scottsdale Disappearance

A grand jury returned the charge after more than three years of investigation and police say they will withhold details to protect the pending prosecution.

Overview

  • A Maricopa County grand jury indicted 41-year-old Joseph Ryan Vigil on a count of first-degree murder in connection with the disappearance of Erin Weber, prosecutors announced on Aug. 7, 2026.
  • Weber was last seen at her Scottsdale apartment on Jan. 20, 2023, and her family reported her missing when they could not reach her; she has not been located despite ongoing searches.
  • Scottsdale detectives served multiple search warrants, processed forensic evidence and conducted numerous interviews during the multi-year probe that led investigators to conclude Weber was dead and to present evidence to the grand jury.
  • Vigil made an initial court appearance and faces related counts including abandoning or concealing a body and burglary, and he is held on a $1 million bond pending further court dates.
  • Police say they will not release additional case details while prosecution is pending, and prosecutors must now build a case without a recovered body, which typically relies on circumstantial evidence and extensive investigative work.