An Arizona man will spend nearly 20 years in prison after finally winning a fight that killed his older brother.
Michael John Morgan, 46, pleaded guilty in May to one count of manslaughter during a sudden quarrel, according to Maricopa County court records. The charge stems from the death of his brother, George Thomas Morgan, 45, in November 2023.
The defendant was originally charged with multiple crimes, including second-degree murder, abandoning or concealing a body, and tampering with evidence, as previously reported by Law&Crime.
Those initial charges have since been dropped after the court accepted the plea agreement at a sentencing hearing earlier this month. The court issued the final sentencing order in the case this week, and Law&Crime obtained it on Friday.
The since-condemned man was sentenced to 18 years and four months in state prison, with 500 days of credit for pre-trial detention.
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The sad siblings’ feud had been brewing for a while. It is thought to have ended with the final – and fatal – bout of fisticuffs on November 11, 2023. Police accused the killer of concealing his brother’s body after an extended series of arguments and fights inside the family’s home in Phoenix’s Encanto Heights neighborhood.
“The repeated incidents ended, and neither were seen for a period of time,” the Phoenix Police Department said in a statement obtained by Phoenix-based Fox affiliate KSAZ at the time. “When Michael returned to the residence but George did not, [it caused] family to report George missing on November 12, 2023.”
Michael Morgan was arrested on November 18, 2023.
The Morgan brothers’ mother witnessed the final fight, according to court documents obtained by independent and CBS-affiliated Phoenix TV stations KTVK and AZ Central. The fight broke out in the dining room and was overheard by the deceased man’s daughter, who also lives there, according to the mother’s witness statement.
According to his mother, George Morgan was in control of the fight, hitting and injuring his younger brother several times before fleeing the scene. Michael Morgan reportedly cleaned up his wounds and followed his older brother outside, but the argument resumed, according to his mother. Following that, George Morgan was never seen or heard from again.
The mother informed police that she saw her younger son leave in his red Chevrolet Tahoe. Family members also told police that the deceased would never leave without his daughter, glasses, or false teeth. However, all were reportedly left behind on the day in question.
George Morgan’s adult son arrived home about 15 minutes after the defendant had left and attempted to locate his father by repeatedly calling his cell phone, according to police. That effort proved futile as it became clear that the phone had been turned off.
Following that, the distraught son told police he searched the backyard and discovered what appeared to be blood, which had been cleaned up with a water hose. The slain man’s son also reported finding blood on his father’s car and hat.
George Morgan’s son later confronted his uncle, who had recently returned to the family home, about the blood. According to police, the defendant allegedly mentioned the two’s numerous fights but claimed he had no idea where his brother was.
After searching nearby areas and hospitals, the family’s matriarch filed a missing person report shortly after midnight on November 12, 2023. When the defendant learned that the police had been called, he allegedly left the house again.
Michael Morgan allegedly returned home one last time after that, to clean something up with chemicals, before leaving for good at 9 a.m. on November 13, 2023.
According to police, the missing man’s cellphone left the residence around the same time Michael Morgan drove away.
It is unclear whether the victim’s body was ever discovered; after the arrest and initial charges, the location of the man’s remains was unknown.
After years of maintaining his innocence, the surviving brother will finally be able to reflect on what was gained and lost.
