A portrait of Donna Marie Smith held by her mother.

A portrait of Donna Marie Smith held by her mother, Tommie Waller, who is now 83. Kristian Hernández | NYT Institute

37 Years Later, a Murder Suspect Is Found

Donna Marie Smith was found dead in 1976, an apparent victim of domestic violence. Yet her murder would go unsolved for decades. That is, until two cold-case detectives in Tucson picked up the case earlier this year, finally getting the break that Smith’s family had been long awaiting.

Rise in Valley Fever May Be Tied to Climate Change

A disease caused by airborne fungus from the soil is common in the hot, dry Southwest, but researchers wonder whether it is spreading elsewhere because of climate change

Protecting Tucson’s Dark Skies to Snag an Asteroid

An important astronomy project to reach an asteroid depends in part on the dark night skies that are a result of cooperation between science and industry in Tucson.

The Puzzles Left Behind by Death

The remains of migrants found in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona help match unidentified bodies with reports of people who are missing. From clothing to wallets to items as mundane as nail clippers, Pima County’s Missing Migrant Project hopes to solve the mysteries of 800 unidentified bodies.

Ajo: A Grotesque Reality With Some Advantages

At a remote desert outpost two hours from Tucson, sheriff’s deputies deal with a grinding daily routine amid the harsh desperation of drug-smuggling and illegal border crossings.