Yuma Man Faces Murder Charges in 2023 Somerton Property Killing

Nearly three years after investigators found Anthony Jordinelli, 57, unresponsive with apparent lacerations at a residence east of Somerton, the man accused of killing him went before a Yuma County jury for the first time this week. Jury selection in the trial of Nicholas Harder, now 40, concluded Tuesday, with opening statements expected to begin Wednesday, April 9.

Harder was arrested on May 22, 2023, the same day Yuma County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a home near Avenue 3E and County 18th Street. Jordinelli was found unresponsive; deputies noted visible wounds on his body, though no official cause of death was publicly confirmed at the time of arrest. Investigators received a tip that Harder may have been at Yuma Regional Medical Center seeking treatment for his own injuries, and deputies detained him as he was leaving the hospital.

An early detail flagged by investigators: Harder had reportedly been hired to work on the property where Jordinelli was found. That employment connection is expected to factor into prosecutors' premeditation arguments, which must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Harder acted with intent or knowledge that his conduct would cause death.

Harder faces one count of premeditated first-degree murder under ARS § 13-1105 and four counts of aggravated assault under ARS § 13-1204. First-degree murder is a Class 1 felony in Arizona, punishable by either the death penalty or life imprisonment, with no possibility of parole. The four aggravated assault counts, generally classified as Class 3 felonies, carry their own sentencing ranges and could run consecutively if Harder is convicted.

The road to trial spanned nearly three years and included at least two postponements. In April 2024, the state offered a plea deal under which Harder would plead guilty to first-degree murder with all four assault counts dismissed. He rejected it. Trial was then set for October 1, 2024, before delays pushed proceedings to October 2025, and then again to April 2026 following a status hearing on December 4, 2025.

The Jordinelli killing was one of only four homicides investigated by the Yuma County Sheriff's Office across all of 2023, according to YCSO Public Information Officer Tania Pavlak. Unlike other high-profile county cases that year, which involved outdoor scenes, the Harder case centered on an alleged killing inside a private residence between a property owner and a man reportedly hired to work there.