SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A suspect has been arrested after a 59-year-old man with special needs was found dead in Scottsdale on Sunday.
The Scottsdale Police Department said a witness was driving on East Camelback Road near Hayden Road when they saw a person laying on the side of the road. First responders found the person with gunshot wounds and took them to the hospital where they died.
Detectives and the Scottsdale Police SWAT Team served a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in north Phoenix early Friday morning. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old John Merryman, was arrested without incident.
Scottsdale police identified the victim as Scott Harkness, a known member of the special needs community and athlete on the Scottsdale Special Olympics team.
Harkness was additionally involved in the Scottsdale Adaptive Recreation program.
Scottsdale detectives located a weapon near the crime scene that was "forensically linked" to Harkness' injuries and forensically linked to Merryman.
Police said they are looking into any connection between Harkness and Merryman, and there currently is no known motive.
Merryman will be booked into the Maricopa County Jail on one count of first-degree murder, police said. Officials said Harkness' roommate told police that he was using cocaine and was paranoid, thinking people were following and watching him.
Those who knew Harkness said he spent a lot of time in the area near Camelback and Hayden, whether he was at Zipp's Sports Grill or at Club SAR, the gym where he worked and volunteered for more than a decade.
"It was kind of like Norm from Cheers," said Jim Curry, who worked with Harkness at Club SAR. "'Scotty! Hey! How are you doing, Scotty?' Because he was here every day no matter what."
Curry said news of his death rattled their gym community. Everyone knew his name and friendly smile.
"Who would do that to Scotty? The guy wouldn’t hurt a fly. He was the nicest kindest person to be around. And to hear how he passed - I keep thinking he must have been terrified."
His friends at the gym loved hearing about his fondness for Chuck Norris and marveled at Scotty’s strength when he moved weights and punching bags.
"Even with his disabilities, he had a wonderful outlook on life," Curry shared.
"I want him to be remembered for the smile he always had coming in here," he said. "And how much he loved what he did."
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