Phoenix police arrested Nathaniel Brown Jr. after investigators found Gabrielle Hill dead in a community dumpster at a Maryvale apartment complex.
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A 41-year-old man is accused of killing a woman and concealing her body in a dumpster after police traced evidence from his Phoenix apartment to where the 34-year-old victim was found, authorities said.
Nathaniel Brown Jr. was taken into custody over the weekend on suspicion of second-degree murder and concealment of a dead body. Police identified the woman as Gabrielle Hill, 34. Investigators said Hill showed signs of trauma when her body was found in a community dumpster near Brown’s apartment in the Maryvale area. Authorities have not publicly released her official cause and manner of death.
The investigation began about 7:15 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, after Glendale police received a report about a man making statements about disposing of a woman’s body, according to police and court records cited by local news organizations. Glendale officers located Brown and detained him before contacting Phoenix police because the investigation led to an apartment complex in Phoenix.
Phoenix officers went to Brown’s apartment near 57th Avenue and Thomas Road. Court records cited by Arizona’s Family said officers found what appeared to be a trail of blood leading from the apartment toward the complex’s community dumpster. Investigators searched the dumpster and found Hill’s body. Police said she had signs of trauma. Reports citing court documents also said officers noticed a strong odor of cleaning chemicals inside Brown’s apartment.
Court records cited by Arizona’s Family said Brown was covered in blood when Glendale officers encountered him. The records also allege that Brown initially told witnesses and officers that Hill had shot herself. Investigators said he later admitted to shooting her. Those statements are allegations contained in the investigation and have not been proven in court.
Police have not publicly explained what led to Hill’s death or disclosed whether Brown and Hill knew each other before the incident. Investigators also have not released a detailed timeline of what they believe happened inside the apartment before Hill’s body was moved. FOX 10 Phoenix reported that Hill’s cause of death had not yet been released.
Brown was booked on suspicion of second-degree murder and concealment of a dead body. FOX 10 reported that he was being held on a $1 million bond. The criminal allegations against Brown remain pending, and an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Reports differed slightly on nearby cross streets associated with the investigation, with police accounts placing the initial Glendale response near Bethany Home Road and the Phoenix apartment near Thomas Road. The central details were consistent across reports: Glendale officers detained Brown after receiving the initial call, Phoenix police then investigated his apartment, and Hill was subsequently found dead in a community dumpster.
The Phoenix Police Department is continuing to investigate Hill’s death. Authorities had not announced additional arrests or publicly released further information about a motive, the relationship between Hill and Brown or a final medical examiner determination as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated October 20, 2026.