Man found dead at UA hill was shot, police say

Dan Hoffman Arizona Daily Wildcat John L. Hughes lived in this makeshift encampment in a wash on UA property near West Anklam Road. Hughes' body was discovered Wednesday by a Sun Tran bus driver.

Detective James Filippelli said the man, identified as John Lawrence Hughes of a general delivery address, was shot, but he would not release further details, pending autopsy results that were not available last night.

The death is the first homicide on University of Arizona property since 1990.

A Sun Tran bus driver discovered Hughes' body lying on some rocks that lead down a wash near the 2200 block of West Anklam Road, on Tucson's west side.

Filippelli said Hughes, believed to be about 44 years old, was living in a tent that was part of a homeless encampment visible from Anklam Road near North Camino Santiago.

Police have interviewed a woman believed to be Hughes' girlfriend as an investigative lead, but had no motive or suspects as of yesterday, Filippelli said.

The detective escorted the woman yesterday as she gathered some of her belongings at the tent, which was surrounded by empty beer cans, blankets and other debris.

Filippelli said Hughes' girlfriend was not with him the day he was killed.

Facing the wash and homeless encampment is the Maria Community Convent, 1835 W. St. Mary's Road.

Sister Joan of Arc, a resident of the convent, said she was aware that transients had been living near the wash behind the Maria Convent fence, but said she has never had any contact with them.

"We never had any problems from them," she said. "We feel sorry for them."

Sister Alberta, a resident of the neighboring Guadalupe Convent, said she has walked past the tent Hughes lived in, but has never seen him.

Sister Alberta said she has often tried to talk with homeless people living in another encampment near the convent.

"Well I've gone there several times and brought them things ... Most of them, I ask if they have enough to eat," she said.

Sister Alberta said she has heard arguments near the encampment.

"It sort of frightened me because it sounded like someone was getting hurt," she said.

She said, however, that she did not remember hearing any gunshots recently.

University police are assisting Tucson police with the investigation and are checking to see if the homicide is related to an incident Sunday afternoon in which another man said he was shot at while hiking on Tumamoc Hill.

University police officers responded to that incident but found no evidence of a shooting and nothing suspicious in the area, police reports stated.