Police say a movie outing, repeated desert trips and physical evidence helped build the murder case now headed toward trial.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The investigation into the death of 21-year-old Arianna Bailey Jones began with relatives unable to reach her and developed into a murder case built heavily on movements captured by phones, cameras and vehicle-tracking systems. Authorities say those records placed Jones with Domonic Rodolico, 24, on July 5 and later led detectives to a remote stretch of desert near Lake Pleasant, where her body was found in a shallow grave six days later.

Rodolico has been accused of first-degree premeditated murder and abandonment or concealment of a dead body. A grand jury later indicted him on murder charges, and he has pleaded not guilty. Arizona’s Family reported Aug. 1 that his trial is scheduled to begin in March. The cause of Jones’ death and a possible motive remained undetermined in the latest reporting, leaving important questions unanswered even as prosecutors move forward with a case that investigators have described as deliberate.

According to police and an arrest affidavit cited by multiple news organizations, Jones and Rodolico had been communicating through social media before meeting in person. Investigators believe July 5 was their first in-person meeting. Rodolico picked Jones up from her apartment, and the two went to a Harkins movie theater. Surveillance footage documented the outing, including images of the pair with concession drinks. Those ordinary details later became important because investigators said similar souvenir cups were recovered at the desert burial site.

The police account of the hours before the movie is central to the allegation of premeditation. Investigators reviewing Rodolico’s movements said he traveled to the same remote desert area before he picked up Jones. The affidavit described multiple trips to the location that day. Police also pointed to supplies found in the area, including concrete mix, gloves and water containers, as evidence they believe showed preparation. The affidavit characterized the amount of equipment and the attention apparently given to the burial location as signs that the crime had been planned rather than arising spontaneously during the date.

After the movie, investigators followed another stream of electronic evidence. Cellphone information showed the devices associated with Jones and Rodolico traveling north toward the remote area near Lake Pleasant, according to the affidavit. The devices remained in that area for roughly 45 to 50 minutes. Jones’ phone then disconnected from the network. Investigators said that could indicate it was turned off, placed in airplane mode or otherwise disconnected. About 10 minutes later, Rodolico’s movements showed him leaving the area, according to the police account.

Jones’ family reported her missing July 7 after relatives had gone two days without hearing from her. The lack of contact was alarming because Jones was the mother of a 2-year-old boy, who was staying with family at the time. Her mother, Sophia Sardinas, later told local reporters that Jones’ devotion to her son made the sudden silence especially troubling. Police checking Jones’ apartment also encountered circumstances that heightened concern, including her dog left in a kennel without food or water. A friend told investigators Jones had planned to meet an acquaintance for a movie.

That information allowed detectives to begin reconstructing the date. Investigators reviewed Jones’ communications and located records connecting her with Rodolico. Surveillance footage, cellphone information and automated license plate data helped officers track where the pair had traveled. Police also began monitoring Rodolico. According to the affidavit, detectives saw him cleaning his Nissan Sentra on several occasions, including vacuuming and wiping the rear passenger area and later working inside the trunk. Police did not rely on those observations alone but combined them with the electronic trail and the earlier desert visits as they narrowed their search.

On July 11, investigators searching the remote desert area used cadaver dogs and found human remains in a shallow grave. Police said clothing and other physical evidence supported their belief that the remains were Jones’. Among the objects recovered nearby were Harkins souvenir cups similar to those seen in theater surveillance footage, concrete-related materials, water bottles, latex gloves, a hair accessory like one Jones appeared to be wearing that night and pieces of a condom wrapper. Authorities have not publicly established that every item belonged to Jones or Rodolico, but investigators cited the collection as part of the evidence connecting the movie outing to the burial site.

Rodolico’s statements to detectives became another part of the investigation. According to the affidavit, he initially acknowledged taking a woman he knew as “Yanna” to a movie but gave investigators an account in which two unknown men approached them after the movie and attacked them. He claimed the men assaulted Jones while he eventually escaped. Police said he later admitted that the account was not true. Investigators said he then offered another explanation, claiming that an unidentified man had directed him to take Jones to the desert without telling him she would be killed. Authorities said he could not explain how that person had contacted him.

Police have said those changing statements did not match the physical and digital evidence they collected. Rodolico denied killing Jones when questioned, according to the affidavit, and he has since pleaded not guilty in court. His plea is significant because the accusations contained in police reports and charging documents have not been proven at trial. The state will have to establish its case in court, while the defense will have an opportunity to challenge the interpretation, collection and admissibility of the evidence investigators say connects Rodolico to Jones’ death.

The case also developed against the backdrop of Rodolico’s prior felony record. Court records reviewed by Arizona’s Family and FOX 10 Phoenix showed that he was on probation for criminal impersonation at the time of the homicide investigation. The earlier case involved allegations that he posed as a QuikTrip employee and took money from registers. He was sentenced to two years of probation. Police officials emphasized in July that the prior conduct was not comparable in seriousness to the murder allegation, and the earlier conviction does not establish guilt in Jones’ death.

For Jones’ relatives, the criminal case follows a week that began with a missing-person search and ended with confirmation that she would not return home. Sardinas and other family members have described Jones as a young mother who wanted to build a future for herself and her son. Family members and friends later gathered at a vigil to remember her. Their comments have focused not only on the circumstances of her death but on the life and family relationships that preceded it, including her role as the mother of a young child.

As of the latest publicly reported court update, Rodolico has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in March. Authorities have not publicly announced a confirmed motive or Jones’ exact cause of death. Those unanswered issues remain distinct from the evidence police say they have already gathered: a documented movie date, repeated travel to a desert location, a cellphone that stopped communicating there, objects recovered near a grave and statements investigators say changed under questioning. Whether that evidence proves the charges will be decided through the court process.

Author note: Last updated August 21, 2026.