Gilbert man sentenced in girlfriend's murder

A 31-year-old Gilbert man has been sentenced to 38 years in prison stemming from his guilty plea on a second-degree murder charge and first-degree attempted murder, Maricopa County AttorneyAttorney Rachel Mitchell announced.

Preston Joseph Allen shot his girlfriend Michelle Golden 13 times Oct. 25, 2023, killing her inside their bedroom in their Gilbert home, according to the county attorney's office. Four children, ages 8-11, were in the home at the time of the shooting,

After killing the victim, Allen went to one of the children’s bedrooms and shot at the bed where one of the kids laid. The minor victim told a forensic interviewer he covered himself and ‘squirmed’ around in the bed to avoid being hit by bullets.

The victim had filed a restraining order against Allen months prior to the killing, listing numerous instances of abuse.

“On the night of the killing, these children were in their rooms knowing their mother was being killed just a few feet away,” Mitchell said. “The trauma these four children will have to live with will forever impact their lives.”

Allen pled guilty May 20 to the reduced charges. A third count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was dismissed as part of the plea deal.