Father accused of killing son, Yuma County murder case heads to trial

The first major courtroom step comes April 16, when Danica Watts is due back in Yuma County Superior Court for a trial-setting and change-of-plea hearing. Days later, Daniel Harris is scheduled to stand trial May 5 on a first-degree murder charge in the death of 24-year-old Michael Patrick Reiter.

The case has drawn close attention because investigators say it began inside a Yuma home and involved members of the same family. Reiter was found unresponsive in the 800 block of South Almond Avenue on the night of Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, after deputies were sent to the residence around 10:18 p.m. on a report of an unresponsive male. Deputies found an adult man with serious injuries, and Rural Metro transported him to Onvida Health before he was flown to a Phoenix-area hospital, where he died.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office later identified Reiter as the victim and said he was a 24-year-old Yuma resident. Investigators arrested Harris, 38, and Watts, 21 at the time, on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. Harris was booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on first-degree homicide per domestic violence. Watts was booked on first-degree homicide per domestic violence and hindering prosecution.

Court filings now set the pace for what comes next. Harris has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, and his trial date places the case on a fast-moving track through Yuma County Superior Court. Watts has not yet entered a plea, after earlier court proceedings set the expectation that she would plead not guilty and return for further hearings. Her April 16 appearance will determine whether her case moves toward trial or another resolution.

For Yuma County, the stakes extend beyond one filing date. Homicide cases tied to a family home touch both the criminal justice system and the wider community, especially when the allegations involve a father, a sister and the death of a young adult. The sheriff’s office has said the investigation remains open, meaning the court process is still unfolding even as two defendants move through separate but connected proceedings.