Found Deceased AZ - Benjamin Anderson, 41, Car found burned, Phoenix, 31 Dec 2021

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

WELCOME TO YOU AND @dogood2022

Glad you have joined us here !!!

Yes, welcome! Thank you for your assistance.

 

[Another friend of Ben]

The thing that’s weird to but maybe can be cleared to with a cell phone record search was why would Ben turn his phone off at home and then drive around with it off? He was frequently on his phone even in the car. He didn’t want to miss anything so even if he didn’t immediately respond he would have his phone on.

Now this makes me think maybe he had words with someone and so not to be tempted to respond and have time to think maybe he turned it off. But to leave home with it still off is not sitting right. Maybe the person came over and they left without him turning it back on. He would more likely put it in silent than turn it all the way off. I know I’m speculating a lot but I’m trying to make sense with the limited information I have.

 

[CEO.SPW]

I don’t follow? I definitely did not physically see him. I was not even in Arizona.

I could be wrong but I think it’s a typo. I think they meant “YES”! Like they were agreeing with you.

 

[BradSleuth1]

I have a question …

Has anyone heard tell by way of any MSM report (or elsewhere) who it was that physically saw Ben in the morning near his residence on 12/31/2021? It seems that detail has been left out in every report I have seen or watched.

Also, I find it somewhat absurd that all of the reports/stories “the friends” went to the MSM with indicated that he would likely be wearing the shorts & black shirt/blue zip sweatshirt.

Did whoever claimed to have seen him alive that very morning THINK he/she recalled seeing Ben in that outfit or what? From the beginning, I have found that comment somewhat bizarre.

I have seen in many a missing person report “He /she was last seen wearing ____”

That said, I do not believe it is nearly as common to see “… may be wearing ____.”

Very odd indeed. Thoughts?

you keep putting friends in quotes. Are you saying great Dan and Sue are responsible for his disappearance and subsequent homicide?

 

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

you keep putting friends in quotes. Are you saying great Dan and Sue are responsible for his disappearance and subsequent homicide?

I put “the friends” in quotes because MSM reports state that there was a group of friends, but we do not know who else was present. No other names are given, but it sounds as though Dan and Sue were not the only “friends” searching for his car, returning to his residence, etc. We are not told who these people are. That is the only reason.

 

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

The thing that’s weird to but maybe can be cleared to with a cell phone record search was why would Ben turn his phone off at home and then drive around with it off? He was frequently on his phone even in the car. He didn’t want to miss anything so even if he didn’t immediately respond he would have his phone on.

Now this makes me think maybe he had words with someone and so not to be tempted to respond and have time to think maybe he turned it off. But to leave home with it still off is not sitting right. Maybe the person came over and they left without him turning it back on. He would more likely put it in silent than turn it all the way off. I know I’m speculating a lot but I’m trying to make sense with the limited information I have.

I second this opinion. I have never known him to turn his phone off.

Also, I forgot to mention before, I also like the idea you presented of hiring a private investigator in an effort to find who is responsible.

 

[BradSleuth1]

I put “the friends” in quotes because MSM reports state that there was a group of friends, but we do not know who else was present. No other names are given, but it sounds as though Dan and Sue were not the only “friends” searching for his car, returning to his residence, etc. We are not told who these people are. That is the only reason.

Why don’t you ask him? He’s on FB and was posting publicly all night when looking for him. If you are friends with Ben, then you know his friends. There was another article indicating three car loads of friends looking for Ben. I assume they were all close to him? No? If that’s correct, I would guess that’s about 12 people. Does anyone know them?

 

[BradSleuth1]

Butkus (Ben’s dog) lives at his parents’ house regardless. So … Unfortunately, that doesn’t provide any helpful clues. Good thought though.

With regard to the tampering of evidence, YES. In one report, the friends were said to have returned to Ben’s condo & “turned the place upside down.”

Not good.

One would think they would have thought about maintaining the integrity of the crime scene.

As you have brought to our attention, yes, I also saw the unit w/garage pictured on the news. I honestly am not sure if all units have a garage or whether or not his particular unit has one.

He moved into this residence pretty recently, and though I had seen him since the move (multiple times), it was always at my home, restaurants, etc. Unfortunately I cannot be of much help here because I had not yet been to this particular residence (this - his newest residence) in person.

As far as the cell phone records are concerned, law enforcement has remained tight lipped with regard to that. I simply do not know. **shrug**

So when I read the news, the home was “turned upside down” when ben was missing, not when his body was found. How was it a crime scene at that point? They said they were looking for clues on his disappearance.

 

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

Are the friends of Ben that have been mentioned in all the news articles relatively new friends?

I think someone already answered this. They went to high school together. Class of 1999.

 

[I wonder]

It’s been said before, but goodness, Ben has the most incredible friends. He is spoken of with such love. With this, it shows, in a way, (more than many other missing persons and murder cases), that terrible, appalling things do happen to the loveliest, kindest, of people. The horror and shock expressed by Ben’s friends, in this happening to him, is palpable.

I hope this terrible crime is solved very soon and that those responsible, are never able to cause such misery ever again. In the meantime, keep safe and be kind to yourselves and one another. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Ben’s family. x

 

[JJ Ray]

I appreciate all of your theories and the thought you put into them (also all the leg work you did for the cause). Thank you.

The main issue I would present with regard to theory #2 is that Ben would not likely have ever gone voluntarily to a Super 8 for a “hook up.”

Ben was more of a Ritz Carlton kind of man. (As a matter of fact, he worked for the Ritz Carlton for a good period of time.)

If a romantic or sexual encounter occurred, I would expect it would much more likely have been at his residence.

However, if I were to theorize, I think they probably brought him alive up to the Table Mesa Rd. location and killed him there where they left the body (perhaps shot him since gunshots are such a common sound in the immediate area).

I am thinking along these lines because if they were to have had to have moved the body out of the residence or a hotel/motel in broad daylight on New Year’s Eve, someone would likely have seen that. Right?!?

(Especially being that it likely would have taken multiple people to move a man of Ben’s size/weight. This was mentioned above as well.)

Thank You for the compliment.
And your analysis is very insightful. I am now away from a random hook up (although along your lines at one point I had the thought that the meeting might have taken place at the Sheraton.) With the timeline moving so early in the morning I doubt the Sheraton would just open up a room and the woman who worked new Years Eve told me that no one named Benjamin Anderson had registered that day.

 

[JJ Ray]

I believe it becomes E. Table Mesa Rd in alignment with approximately where Central Ave would be in town so what you state above with regard to that makes sense.

Your theory is certainly a reasonable possibility.

I honestly had not thought about the fact that it would be easier/make more sense for them to pull off the freeway to the right heading south. Great thought.

As I had expressed previously, I had no reason to expect he would have been up north visiting “friends” in the first place so I was quite surprised to hear that part of the “story.”

That part of the story had to come from Daniel S.
The body in MSM was described as being found E. of I-17 on table Mesa Road.

 

[JJ Ray]

Since you are local to the area, do you know how Ben's body was located? Was it reported by someone on a trail that a vehicle could drive on, a worker in the general area, or the body close enough to the road that some eagle eyed driver could see it from the highway?

My assumption is "Desert" meant dropped off of Table Mesa Road east of I-17 . So I assume it was local traffic or someone out on there property. There are scattered homes through that area.

 

[Bethan]

It’s been said before, but goodness, Ben has the most incredible friends. He is spoken of with such love. With this, it shows, in a way, (more than many other missing persons and murder cases), that terrible, appalling things do happen to the loveliest, kindest, of people. The horror and shock expressed by Ben’s friends, in this happening to him, is palpable.

I hope this terrible crime is solved very soon and that those responsible, are never able to cause such misery ever again. In the meantime, keep safe and be kind to yourselves and one another. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Ben’s family. x

Thank you for your the above words ‘I wonder’.
I think you speak for all of us here on Websleuths & your post was expressed most eloquently.

This is a shocking occurrence & our hearts go out to Ben’s family & friends.

Despite dealing with their personal loss, it is testament to Ben, that friends have taken the time to register here & become Verified Insiders.

Hoping this crime is solved quickly & justice served for Benjamin.

 

[jenn83]

Was Ben married? Or did I confuse that with Dan is married?

 

[Kimkimba]

Was Ben married? Or did I confuse that with Dan is married?

Dan is married. Ben is not married.

 

[JJ Ray]

Have LE revealed what side of Hwy 17 Ben's body was found? When I look at a close up of the highway at the junction of Table Mesa Rd it it is a split highway where Table Mesa Rd crosses over Hwy 17. Knowing what side of the highway Ben's body was discovered might tell us what direction they were driving when they dumped his body.

SORRY ALL! I got my previous location incorrect....still thinking of Michael Maraina. Ben was found WEST of I-17 on Table Mesa Road

 

[branmuffin]

My assumption is "Desert" meant dropped off of Table Mesa Road east of I-17 . So I assume it was local traffic or someone out on there property. There are scattered homes through that area.

Is there no desert west of I-17? In your earlier post you provided an area that may have been where BA's body was found but it was west of I-17.

 

[Hazelnutty]

My heart goes out to Ben's friends here ( and not here!) May justice come swiftly to the one(s) who took him away from living life.

 

[branmuffin]

Well, because “the friends” had just encountered the mystery trio who MSM story alleged they didn’t know/recognize had the Lexus at the Sheraton, Ben was not with them, car chase ensued per Dan’s story, etc.

Also, given the fact that Sue works for AZ DOHS, one would think she would think twice about returning to the residence. Perhaps that would have been a job best left to LE?
Agency Directory

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-dzbanko-7056aa7
HL - Homeland Security | AZ Direct

I was a little shocked on hearing the group looking for Ben basically trashed a potential crime scene. If the minute they walked through his residence and saw evidence of something not quite right, especially after the interaction with the 3 strangers they should have immediately called LE.