You might’ve seen her name pop up recently in a true crime documentary or a random late-night Twitter thread. It’s been well over a decade since the horrific events in Arivaca, Arizona, but people still ask the same question: Is shawna forde still alive today?
The short answer is yes.
Honestly, the legal system moves at a snail’s pace, especially when the death penalty is involved. Shawna Forde remains incarcerated at the Lumley Unit within the Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville. She’s one of only three women on death row in the entire state of Arizona. If you’re looking for a quick update, she hasn't been executed, and she hasn't been released. She is simply waiting.
The Crime That Put Her There
To understand why she’s still a fixture in the news cycle, you have to look back at the 2009 home invasion. It wasn't just a robbery. It was a calculated, albeit incredibly sloppy, plan to fund a militia group called Minutemen American Defense (MAD). Forde was the leader. She convinced herself—and her accomplices, Jason Bush and Albert Gaxiola—that robbing a suspected drug trafficker was a victimless way to get cash for their border operations.
They were wrong.
On May 30, 2009, the trio dressed up as law enforcement and barged into the home of Raul "Junior" Flores. They shot Raul. They shot his wife, Gina Gonzalez. Then, in an act that still haunts the local community, they shot 9-year-old Brisenia Flores as she pleaded for her life. Gina survived by playing dead and eventually managed to exchange gunfire with the intruders as they fled.
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Forde didn't pull the trigger herself. Jason Bush did. But under Arizona law, if you're the mastermind of a felony that leads to murder, you're just as liable. The jury didn't take long to decide her fate.
Where Is Shawna Forde Now?
As of 2026, Forde is still living out her days in Goodyear, Arizona. Perryville is the only place in the state that houses female death row inmates. Life there is pretty isolated. She isn't in the "general population" like most prisoners.
People often think death row means an immediate execution date. In reality, it’s a decades-long cycle of appeals. Forde has tried to overturn her conviction multiple times.
In 2014, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld her death sentence. They basically said the evidence was overwhelming. They noted that Forde didn't just plan the robbery; she stood by while a child was executed and then searched the house for jewelry and cash while the victims lay bleeding.
Why hasn't she been executed?
Arizona has had a very complicated relationship with the death penalty lately. There have been massive "pauses" on executions due to controversies over lethal injection drugs and botched procedures. Basically, the state has struggled to find a reliable way to carry out the sentence that satisfies legal and ethical standards.
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Also, female executions are incredibly rare.
In the history of Arizona, only two women have ever been executed. The last one was Eva Dugan way back in 1930. Because Forde is still fighting her case through various federal habeas corpus petitions, she likely has years, if not another decade, of legal maneuvering ahead of her.
Misconceptions and the "Militia" Connection
One thing that gets lost in the "shawna forde still alive today" searches is the political fallout. When this first happened, it sent shockwaves through the "Minuteman" movement. Groups like the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps tried to distance themselves immediately. They called her a "rogue" and a "criminal."
But the truth is more nuanced. Forde had been active in these circles for years. She was a known quantity. The fact that she was able to recruit people for a murderous heist speaks to a very specific, dangerous subculture that existed along the border at the time.
Some people still try to claim she was "railroaded" or that she’s a political prisoner. If you look at the trial transcripts, that argument falls apart pretty fast. The physical evidence—including Gina’s jewelry found in Forde’s purse at the time of her arrest—was pretty much the nail in the coffin.
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What's Next for the Case?
So, what should you actually keep an eye on?
- Federal Appeals: Most of the "action" now happens in federal courts. These aren't about "did she do it?" but rather "was her trial fair?" or "did her lawyers do a good job?"
- State Policy: Arizona's Governor and Attorney General have a huge say in whether execution warrants are even requested. Depending on who is in office, the "conveyor belt" to the execution chamber either speeds up or stops entirely.
- Health Status: Forde is in her 50s now. Long-term incarceration takes a toll. Sometimes, death row inmates die of natural causes before their legal appeals are even finished.
If you are following this story because you're interested in the legal side, you should check out the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) website. They maintain a public search tool where you can see her current status, though it rarely changes.
The Brisenia Flores case remains a landmark in Arizona history, not just for the brutality of the crime, but for what it revealed about the extremes of vigilante justice. While Forde remains alive, the families of the victims are the ones serving the real life sentence.
Actionable Insight: If you want to track this case accurately, avoid tabloid sites. Stick to the Arizona Supreme Court's public docket or the ADCRR inmate data search to get verified status updates on her location and legal standing.