Arizona Mother Sentenced to 20 Years in Husband's Murder That Shook a Family to Its Core

A Chilling Discovery in Gilbert

A 52-year-old woman from Gilbert, Arizona, has been sentenced to two decades in prison after pleading guilty to the second-degree murder of her husband in a case that stunned the community and devastated a family. The tragedy unfolded in a quiet East Valley neighborhood but left emotional wreckage that continues to ripple.

A Family’s Worst Nightmare

On November 22, 2023, the lifeless body of 49-year-old Stefan Kolev was discovered inside a home near Guadalupe and Recker roads. What initially appeared to be a routine welfare check quickly turned into a homicide investigation after disturbing details began to surface.

The victim's children alerted authorities that their mother, Ivanka Deneva Koleva, had been behaving unusually in the days leading up to the discovery. She had allegedly warned them not to enter the house—a chilling red flag that raised immediate concerns.

When law enforcement entered the residence, they uncovered alarming evidence: signs of an attempted cover-up. Investigators found that the crime scene had been tampered with—blood cleaned, the victim’s belongings hidden, and even a bullet hole in a bedroom door seemingly patched up. These efforts to mask the violence only deepened the tragic nature of the case.

The Arrest and the Aftermath

Ivanka Koleva was arrested on November 27, just five days after the incident. Her arrest marked a turning point, both for the investigation and for the Kolev family’s sense of justice.

She later entered a guilty plea for second-degree murder, which led to a 20-year prison sentence. The plea deal spared the family a lengthy trial but did little to ease the emotional toll.

A Betrayal That Broke a Family

The emotional impact on the Kolev children has been immense. They returned home expecting a normal day with their parents—but instead walked into a crime scene, their father dead and their mother accused of causing it.

Officials described the crime as a harrowing betrayal that tore a family apart from the inside. "No one should ever have to experience the horror of finding a loved one murdered—especially not at the hands of another parent,” said one legal authority involved in the case. The family’s anguish is a stark reminder that some wounds go far deeper than any visible scar.

Justice Served but Pain Remains

While the 20-year sentence brings legal closure to the case, for the surviving family members, the emotional consequences may linger for years. The house where the tragedy unfolded remains a haunting reminder of what was lost.

This case underscores the importance of mental health awareness, domestic conflict intervention, and the often-hidden dynamics of family violence. It’s a sobering lesson that even in the most familiar places—within families—unthinkable events can occur.