Recently released court documents detail the tumultuous relationship between Julie Concialdi and her husband, who police say murdered her. 

Joseph Concialdi, 57, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder days after 59-year-old Julie Concialdi’s car was found abandoned and burned just a few miles away from her home on Sept. 4.

Police believe her body was found near 56th Street and Deer Valley Road Thursday.

Joseph Concialdi told police he last saw her the same night her car was found, but said he was not in town at the time as he was in Payson following an argument over vacation plans. He claimed that when he returned she was not at the home.

According to a probable cause statement included in court documents, Joseph Concialdi reported his wife missing on Sept. 6. She was last seen outside of the house on Sept. 2. She had not had any contact with others since then, gone to work or responded to text messages from her family, who said this was uncharacteristic of her.

According to the report, Joseph Concialdi told investigators the relationship was “tumultuous” and the couple had previously discussed a separation and divorce.

Phoenix police investigators also learned that he told a family member that a divorce would be financially damaging to him. 

Julie Concialdi confided in friends that she suspected her husband of more than 30 years cheated on her, the report detailed. 

However, police quickly found flaws with Joseph Concialdi’s story. Camera footage showed Joseph Concialdi’s car parked in the driveway in the early morning hours of Sept. 5 — long after he told police he had already left for Payson.

During a search of the home, investigators discovered that it appeared to have been sanitized and that there were several areas where there had been blood “from a significant injury” before cleaning. DNA testing was used to determine the blood matched Julie Concialdi. 

Nearby video surveillance showed a subject walking away from the burning car with an unknown object in hand, but there wasn’t enough information to identify a suspect, police said.

After reviewing surveillance footage of Joseph Concialdi leaving Fry’s grocery store the same night, police confirmed Joseph’s hat, jeans, shirt and shoes matched the clothing worn by the suspect caught walking away from the burning car.

Police reviewed Joepsh Concialdi’s phone records and found he was having frequent communication with a woman who lived in Payson, whom they later determined he was having an affair with. He described himself as “almost divorced,” and claimed his ex-wife was “a drug addict,” police said in the report.

They also learned he was visiting this woman on Sept. 5 instead of camping.

Joseph Concialdi has been held in a Maricopa County jail since Sept. 16 on a $2 million cash-only bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court next on Oct. 14.

Reach breaking news reporter Brooke Newman at [email protected] or on Twitter @brookerae17.

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