jews d
in
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Native Detroiter
Murdered In Arizona
Psychiatrist gunned down near his offi ce.
RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Cheryl, Housekeeper
D
STEVEN PITT & ASSOCIATES
r. Steven Pitt, 59, native
Detroiter and renowned
forensic psychiatrist, was
shot to death outside his Scottsdale,
Ariz., office on Thursday afternoon,
May 31, 2018. Pitt, who was known for
his work on promi-
nent cases such as
JonBenet Ramsey’s
murder in 1996 and
the mass shooting
at Columbine High
School in 1999, died
at the scene.
The killer, identi-
Dr. Steven Pitt
fied by Phoenix
police as Dwight
Lamon Jones, 56,
went on to kill five more people before
taking his own life four days later.
Police later discovered that Jones had
embarked on a revenge killing spree
of people who had played a role in a
contentious divorce and custody case
in 2009. During those proceedings, Pitt
had performed a court-ordered psy-
chiatric evaluation of Jones.
The other victims were parale-
gals Veleria Sharp, 48, and Laura
Anderson, 49, who worked for the
law firm Burt, Feldman and Grenier,
which had represented Jones’ ex-wife
in the divorce; counselor and life
coach Marshall Levine, 72; and Bryon
Thomas, 72, and Mary Simmons, 70,
who occasionally played tennis with
Jones. At press time, police hadn’t
released a motive for the couple’s kill-
ing; they were found dead inside their
home in a quiet neighborhood.
Police later discovered Levine was
not the intended victim; he had been
subletting the office from a woman
who had provided counseling services
to Jones’ son during the divorce. After
a tip led police to Jones, he took his
own life as officers closed in on his
Phoenix hotel room on Monday, June
4, hours before Pitt’s funeral service.
Pitt grew up in Southfield with
his brother, Darryl, and his parents,
Dorothy and the popular orchestra
leader Mack Pitt. After graduating
from the former Southfield-Lathrup
High School, he attended Michigan
State University, where he developed a
lifelong passion for all things Spartan,
especially MSU football and basket-
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ball. He went on to graduate from the
Michigan State University College of
Osteopathic Medicine, followed by
residency training at the University of
Michigan Medical Center and a fel-
lowship in forensic psychiatry at the
University of Maryland. At the time
of his death, in addition to his private
practice, he was serving as a clinical
associate professor of psychiatry at
the University of Arizona College of
Medicine.
“He was a great guy, a lot of fun,”
said Missy Handler of Huntington
Woods, a high school friend who
attended the funeral service. “He was
always laughing and joking around.”
Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel,
who traveled to Arizona to officiate
the funeral service, described Pitt as a
“warm, welcoming and loving man.”
He put his family first and encour-
aged his sons, Asa and Beau, to forge
sincere relationships, be nice to girls
and find meaningful work they would
enjoy.
“When you met him, you immedi-
ately felt a connection,” Loss said. “He
had a very serious professional side,
but at home he had the ability to put
that in its place and be this incredible
father, partner, brother and friend.”
According to lifelong friend Jay
Gooding, now a California resident,
Pitt was a devoted father, a loyal
friend and a dedicated professional
who earned the respect of colleagues
and law enforcement officials locally
and nationally. He had an adventur-
ous spirit and loved to travel to exotic
places all over the world. While his
work often took him to the dark side
of human nature, he had a legendary
sense of humor and loved to make
others laugh. He was looking forward
to a future with his fiancée, Natalie
Collins, with whom he shared a close
and loving relationship.
“He thrived on meeting new people
and was always interested in figur-
ing out what made people tick,” said
Gooding, who spoke at the funeral
service. “He was good energy for the
universe.”
Steven Pitt is survived by his broth-
er, Darryl (Janine); sons, Asa and Beau,
fiancée, Natalie Collins, and nieces,
Alana and Daniella. •