Allister Adel, Former Maricopa County Attorney, Dead At 45

PHOENIX, AZ — Former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel died Saturday due to health complications, according to a report citing a statement from her family. She was 45.

Adel was appointed Maricopa County Attorney in 2019 and held the position through March 2022. Her tenure was mired in controversy.

"This May we would have celebrated 20 years of marriage. My family and I are utterly heartbroken by this unimaginable loss," Adel's husband, David DeNitto, said in a statement, according to ABC 15. "We are asking that the press and the public honor her, her legacy and our family by respecting our privacy at this difficult time."

Memorial services will be announced at a later date.

RELATED: 'Plagued By Scandal:' County Attorney Allister Adel Resigns

Adel announced her resignation as county attorney on March 21. In February, five prosecutors in Adel's office called for her resignation amid questions about her sobriety and ongoing frequent absences from the office. Adel received inpatient treatment for anxiety, alcoholism and an eating disorder for several weeks starting at the end of August 2021.

During Adel's tenure, the county attorney's office failed to file charges in a timely fashion for 180 misdemeanor cases that were ultimately dropped because of the statute of limitations, The Arizona Republic reported.

The county attorney's office also faced public backlash under Adel's leadership and ordered its own investigation after charging 15 protestors with police brutality in October 2020. The charges were later dropped after the investigation and public backlash.