Butwin Family

Sometime on Friday evening, after Yafit Butwin celebrated her husband's birthday with the family at the couple's Tempe home, she posted a photo of him and their children on Facebook with this message: "Happy Birthday Jim, I am so proud of my three children :) and they know why."

Just hours later, police say, the Butwins' Ford SUV was chased by a Border Patrol agent down an empty freeway west of Casa Grande and disappeared into the desert night, only to be discovered smoldering hours later among cactuses with five charred corpses inside.

Although the grisly deaths were portrayed by Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu as the work of a narcotics cartel, investigators now say the crime was a murder-suicide perpetrated by James C. "Jim" Butwin, a Valley businessman and father whose birthday was Friday.

Court records and acquaintances confirm that Butwin, 47, was in the midst of a divorce and faced serious financial and medical problems. But they also say there was no history of domestic violence, no hint of desperation in his life.

"We didn't see this coming. They seemed like good people," said Jordan Gilson, 18, a neighbor. "Heartbroken is a good word for it. When I heard about it, my stomach flipped."

Bill Bishop, Jim Butwin's divorce lawyer, said the marriage breakup had proceeded with relatively little rancor. The couple agreed to share the house during litigation and had already negotiated joint legal custody. While there were financial issues, Bishop said, they were being handled professionally.

Bishop described Butwin as a "semi-easygoing guy" who had a brain tumor but seemed optimistic about the prognosis. Butwin also faced several lawsuits but seemed to take those issues in stride.

"There was no indication whatsoever that he was upset or anything," said Bishop, who spoke with Butwin late last week. "I've had some clients who were intense and pretty aggressive, but he wasn't one of them. This is one of the most cowardly acts that anybody could ever do."

Police find 'suspicious' evidence

According to police, sometime late last week, James Butwin placed a key and a letter in an envelope and sent it to a business associate.

The key was to his family home in the 9300 block of South Kenneth Place. The letter, detectives said, advised the partner to check on the house and also offered suggestions on how to continue their company.

Police said a visit to the residence at 2 p.m. Monday revealed "suspicious and concerning evidence" that made them suspect foul play. They also noted that the family's Ford SUV was missing. Investigators do not know how and when the family members were killed, or why the Butwins' vehicle raced down Interstate 8 at 4:30a.m. Saturday, evading the Border Patrol and veering 2 miles into the Sonoran outback.

It was discovered several hours later, still smoking. Officials reported that one victim was found in the backseat, and four in the rear compartment. All were burned beyond recognition.

Tempe police spokesman Jeff Glover identified the entire Butwin family as victims and said the Ford SUV that was found torched in the desert had been registered to them.

Besides James Butwin, court records identify the family members as:

Yafit, 40, an Israeli immigrant whose website advertises her interior-design business.

Malissa, 16, a student at Corona del Sol High School who played clarinet in the band, according to a boosters newsletter.

Daniel, 14, who celebrated his bar mitzvah on Oct.16, 2010, and was into wrestling and playing the drums, according to a 2010 article in Temple Emanuel's newsletter. He also was a student at Corona del Sol.

Matthew, age 7.

The Pima County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the deaths as homicides but has not released an autopsy or announced the manner of death.

Glover said there was "absolutely no evidence" that the slayings had any connection with drugs or drug smuggling.

Despite that conclusion, a Pinal County Sheriff's Office news release sent Tuesday afternoon continued to suggest that the slayings were related to narcotics cartels. A sheriff's spokesman issued a message saying Babeu would no longer comment on the case.

Saturday's slayings mark the second time in just five weeks that an East Valley family fell victim to murder-suicide. On May2, J.T. Ready, a neo-Nazi border vigilante, killed his girlfriend, her daughter and grandchild, as well as the daughter's boyfriend, in a domestic-violence rampage.

'Out of the blue'

James Butwin was an entrepreneur involved with real-estate developments and property management. Originally from New Jersey, he also was a prominent member of the Tempe Jewish community.

He and his family lived in an upscale neighborhood known as Corona Estates, with expansive homes, manicured lawns and stone walkways.

Steven Wolfson, Yafit's divorce attorney, said the couple continued living together during divorce proceedings under a temporary agreement to share the residence.

James and Yafit met in 1993, when she was visiting the United States. They were married in Israel.

"She learned English and became Americanized," Wolfson said. "She was looking forward to starting over and she loved her children very much."

On April11, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jay Polk issued temporary orders for James to provide $25,000 to Yafit as predistribution interest in the estate. "Both parties shall be cordial to each other in the marital residence and respect each other's privacy," Polk instructed.

In February, Yafit Butwin's lawyer sought to invalidate the prenuptial agreement she signed in 1994 on the grounds that she didn't speak English at the time and was pressured into a deal that would leave her with no more than $1,000 monthly.

"I led a simple life on a chicken farm," Yafit said in a sworn statement. "At that time, I could only use English in simple terms and basic phrases."

In the prenuptial agreement, James Butwin reported more than $1million in assets; she reported none. For the divorce, Butwin listed a 2009 income of more than $159,000.

Wolfson said Yafit never sought an order of protection, and he was shocked to learn of the tragedy because there was no hint of domestic-violence problems.

"This just isn't it," he said. "This is out of the blue as far as we're concerned."

'Tragic all the way around'

Butwin became a licensed real-estate broker in January 2003, according to the Arizona Department of Real Estate.

He created a network of corporations to pursue commercial-property deals, records with the Arizona Corporation Commission show.

None of the partners listed in those arrangements could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Butwin's professional image extended to Temple Emanuel, where he was a board member.

"I never had any indication of anything like this happening, so you can never tell," said Sal Caputo, a fellow board member.

Yafit Butwin was an energetic mother who often talked lovingly about her children, said Robin Phillips, a Tempe resident who saw her for about the past 18 months at their weekly meditation group in Chandler.

In 2011, Yafit graduated from Northern Arizona University and was pursuing an interior-design career.

Yafit had said her husband would not leave the house, something they were negotiating as the divorce was unfolding, Phillips said.

"Six months ago she had all kinds of great things on the horizon. She had finished her degree. She was starting her business," Phillips said. "She was trying to move forward, so to see that change so badly is just tragic all the way around."

Republic reporters Karina Bland, JJ Hensley, Haley Madden and Catherine Reagor contributed to this article.

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