Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Home Alone’ of ABC’s ’20/20′ chronicles the tragic killing of a 31-year-old Arizona resident named Allison Feldman in February 2015. Since she was highly active in and helpful to her community, the news sent shockwaves across the area. At the beginning of the investigation, the detectives had dozens of potential suspects, but it took them over three years to get to the bottom of the case. The documentary also features exclusive and insightful interviews with Allison’s loved ones and the officials linked to the investigation.
Allison Feldman Was Found Dead by Her Then-Boyfriend at Her Arizona Home
Born on June 14, 1983, in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Allison Michelle Feldman was the beloved daughter of Elayne and Harley Feldman. Growing up in Minnesota alongside her sister, Kelly Weinblatt, she attended Minnetonka High School. For her higher studies, she relocated to Arizona, where she went to the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in Spanish and communications. After graduation, she settled in the Scottsdale area and landed a job as a Sales Representative at Mölnlycke Health Care. Allison also helped out kids with burn injuries through her volunteer work with the Arizona Burn Foundation’s Camp Courage in Prescott, Arizona. In early 2015, she was reportedly promoted to a Burn Specialist.
Her family’s concern for her well-being began when they couldn’t seem to contact her through calls on February 17, 2015. At the time, she was in a loving relationship with Alex Sukhodolov, who then went to her house near Pima and Thomas Roads in Scottsdale the following day. Upon going inside, he discovered his girlfriend’s remains on the floor of the hallway and immediately called 911. The authorities arrived and set up a perimeter before thoroughly canvassing the crime scene. They noticed signs of struggle throughout the house, with broken items and blood found in the kitchen area. The autopsy revealed that the 31-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted before dying of blunt force trauma to her head combined with asphyxia at least a day prior, on February 17, 2015.
Allison Feldman’s Killer Was Apprehended Through Advanced DNA Testing Technology
During the homicide investigation, the detectives spoke to Allison Feldman’s then-boyfriend, Alex Sukhodolov, who found her remains. Since he had an alibi, he was eliminated as a potential suspect. They also spoke with a few neighbors in the area to see whether any had heard or seen anything alarming on the night of February 17, 2015. One of the neighbors claimed that she heard a loud scream from Allison’s house around 9:30 pm on the fateful night. When the investigation went nowhere, the authorities offered a $1,000 reward in April 2015 for information leading to the identity of the perpetrator. The amount was increased to $10,000 by June of the same year. When all else failed, the law enforcement resorted to familial DNA testing as they had a DNA sample from the crime scene.
The test led them to a man named Mark Mitcham, who had been serving a term for child molestation he committed in the 1990s. As the investigators dug deeper into his immediate family members, they zeroed in on his younger brother, Ian Mitcham, who had a lengthy rap sheet. During one of his DUI offenses, the police had collected his blood sample and retained it. Thus, the detectives were able to run the DNA profile from Allison’s home against Ian’s blood sample, which resulted in a perfect match. More than three years of investigation later, Ian Mitcham was arrested on April 10, 2018, and charged with burglary, rape, and murder in connection with Allison Feldman’s killing. After his arrest, he denied having anything to do with the homicide. For several years, Ian’s jury trial was postponed, with the defense arguing that the detectives used improper methods to collect his DNA and violated his Fourth Amendment rights.
Finally, in late 2025, Ian’s homicide trial got underway. During the months-long trial, the prosecutors told the jury that Ian allegedly entered Allison’s home on the night of February 17, 2015, and sexually assaulted her before killing her. To cover up his crime, he cleaned up the scene using bleach. On the other hand, the defense argued that the investigators apprehended the wrong man, maintaining the defendant’s innocence. Ultimately, on April 9, 2026, Ian was found guilty on all counts, including first-degree murder, sexual assault, and second-degree burglary. In May 2026, he was sentenced on the lesser charges, including 3.5 years for the burglary charge and seven years for sexual assault, with the sentencing for first-degree murder scheduled for later.
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