Steven Newell, the man convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering eight-year-old Elizabeth Byrd in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2001, has created a profile on a pen pal website while on death row.
Newell, now 45, strangled Elizabeth before dumping her body in a ditch. He has posted photos of himself on the site Wire of Hope, writing about transforming "pain into purpose" and inviting people to contact him for companionship.
Wire of Hope was founded by Sigrid Wade, who travelled 4,000 miles from France to Florida to marry death row inmate Alan Wade.
The murder of Elizabeth Byrd
Elizabeth was eight years old when she disappeared while walking to primary school in May 2001 from her home near Southern and 37th avenues. Her mother, Linda Stone, who died two years ago, suspected foul play and a large investigation was launched.
At the time, Linda said: "I think somebody grabbed her on the way to school. I want my daughter back so bad."
Elizabeth encountered Newell, a family friend, who began accompanying her and persuaded her to take a "shortcut" through a field. After isolating her, he sexually assaulted her and strangled her with her backpack straps before dumping her body in a water-filled drainage ditch.
Her remains were found in the irrigation channel 24 hours after she disappeared. She was still in her school uniform and had been wrapped in carpet material.
Newell, who had previously been romantically involved with one of Elizabeth's sisters, attended both the funeral service and burial. Elizabeth's sister Denise Ross recalled: "He stood in the background and that's when the cops started looking at him. And then at the cemetery he stepped on the soft soil and that's when they looked at his footprints from that."
His shoe impressions matched those found at the crime scene, and a witness saw Newell leaving the ditch on that day. Following an 11-day court hearing in 2004, he was found guilty of first degree murder, kidnapping and sexual conduct with a minor, and received the death penalty.
Reflecting on her mother's condition, Denise said: "She was never the same again. Never." Linda died in 2024 following stroke-related complications, with her final request being to be buried alongside her daughter.
Life on death row
Newell has remained on Arizona's death row for more than twenty years. On his profile, he described a "lengthy journey" and said he had found his way back to his family, adding that his nieces and nephews were now his "entire world".
He wrote: "I've turned pain into purpose. I'm a certified peer support specialist and mental health first aider. Helping men navigate addiction and mental health struggles has become a genuine calling. My Christian faith drives that, shaping how I show up with empathy and compassion rooted in my own lived experience."
Newell also mentioned his poetry abilities and said fitness plays a major role in his prison life. He continued: "I rewatch Storage Wars, Swamp People, or Impractical Jokers. Music is a big part of my life too, mostly electronic and rock. I even build my own speakers from scratch, which my neighbors have mixed feelings about."
In a note to potential pen pals, he stated: "If you're reading this, you're open to connecting with someone on the inside, and I'm glad you found your way here." He added: "Every new person brings a whole new universe to explore, and I want to hear about yours. What's your favorite semi-precious stone? Is there a song that has stayed with you across the years?"
The founders of Wire of Hope say the organisation allows inmates to "escape the daily monotony and darkness, feel human again, appreciated, and sometimes even loved".
