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

[Spartygirl]

I'm getting Alan White (Texas) vibes.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Motive- the Lexus or hate crime ???

But-- friends chased the 3 perps and they were quick to find it so perps had to get rid of car.
But why burn it ??
Why not just abandoned it ??

Forensic evidence ?? Fingerprints, etc.
And what happened to Benjamin ??

I think a possible hook up , too tired to meet friends for breakfast and it all went downhill after that.

 

[Queen of Denmark]

Or, he was surprised by a home invasion as he got out of the shower. The towel was tossed on the bed and he was taken elsewhere.

 

[JJ Ray]

A note...
DS indicates Ben was tired from driving a lot the day before. If true, does that sound like a situation where he instigated a hook-up the night before? Or that morning....
Thanks all. Glad we got some eyes and minds on this like @Knox and @realanastasia and @branmuffin .

 

[JJ Ray]

Or, he was surprised by a home invasion as he got out of the shower. The towel was tossed on the bed and he was taken elsewhere.

I'm liking this line...but how did they get in or choose Ben.

 

[Mccrackenator]

Just a hypothesis, and I have no intention of shaming the potential victim of a crime, but this sounds like a textbook honeypot situation. That would explain the sudden cancelled plans, showering before a sexual encounter, hurried departure to get there on time, leaving most valuables at home before you go to the seedy hotel, happened on New Years Eve, etc. It looks like he “encountered” the wrong person and their crew likely took everything he had at that hotel and killed him. I hope to God My theory is wrong but I’ve seen this story play out enough times

 

[JJ Ray]

Just a hypothesis, and I have no intention of shaming the potential victim of a crime, but this sounds like a textbook honeypot situation. That would explain the sudden cancelled plans, showering before a sexual encounter, hurried departure to get there on time, leaving most valuables at home before you go to the seedy hotel, happened on New Years Eve, etc. It looks like he “encountered” the wrong person and their crew likely took everything he had at that hotel and killed him. I hope to God My theory is wrong but I’ve seen this story play out enough times

So the timing would run; he goes to the hotel over on the 17 at 9:00am (no more phone activity). He gets killed and the car sits there all day, then gets jacked by these 3 yahoos that night because??? the killer leaves the keys? but then has ditched the body somehow (instead of just putting it in the trunk)? Haven't they searched the Hotel 7 grounds....I would hope!

 

[JJ Ray]

Yes. It is about 2 miles north of the intersection and would be crossed to get to the Hotel on Dunlap and I-17. It is very accessible and used as a biking/jogging path across Uptown area.

Just to add on the canal comment. The same canal I mention being 2 miles North is from the general area of his home (which is in the yellow area around 7th st. and Maryland on the map linked below, my former address BTW). 7th st. and Central Ave. all cross the canal going north. But I just remembered it actually then runs west near the second Hotel on the east side of I-17 and Dunlap. The car is actually right next to the canal (see attached photo from MSM). The area to the west in yellow directly on the canal is the nearest spillway to the vehicle site. The likely route from Super 8 to Sheraton Crescent is in red....

Benjamin - Google My Maps

 

[PetDetective]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Motive- the Lexus or hate crime ???

But-- friends chased the 3 perps and they were quick to find it so perps had to get rid of car.
But why burn it ??
Why not just abandoned it ??

Forensic evidence ?? Fingerprints, etc.
And what happened to Benjamin ??

I think a possible hook up , too tired to meet friends for breakfast and it all went downhill after that.

Good luck getting forensic evidence after the friends were all in his apartment.

 

[Hexe]

I'm getting Alan White (Texas) vibes.

There is nothing in common here. We do not even know if Benjamin is gay.

 

[katydid23]

There is nothing in common here. We do not even know if Benjamin is gay.

I don't think the similarity is about being gay or straight.

To me it is about a male suddenly vanishing in the morning, while out in his vehicle, and his vehicle being set on fire, and he is missing mysteriously.

 

[Hexe]

I don't think the similarity is about being gay or straight.

To me it is about a male suddenly vanishing in the morning, while out in his vehicle, and his vehicle being set on fire, and he is missing mysteriously.

We do not know if Benjamin was out in his vehicle that morning. We know some other unknown people used his vehicle, that though does not mean he was on the road when assaulted. All the evidence in Benjamins case points towards the attack starting in his home - the unmade bed, wet towel on it, clothes on the floor, that looks like something happened when he stepped out of the shower.

Last but not least, Alan White's car was found intact, just plastered with mud.

 

[Valiant]

Why did the friends go to his apartment and how did they get in? Also, how did they track down his car? And where are the car doors? This is so strange.

The doors and front fenders were likely not steel. They may have been aluminum which melts at a lower temperature than steel.

 

[branmuffin]

Good luck getting forensic evidence after the friends were all in his apartment.

Considering the extraordinary actions his friends went through to locate their friend, the police could probably eliminate their prints.

 

[Psychic Sleuth]

It's possible that the 3 people seen in the vehicle had nothing to do with his disappearance and just came across his abandoned car and stole it. Just MOO

 

[KellyConQueso]

Just a hypothesis, and I have no intention of shaming the potential victim of a crime, but this sounds like a textbook honeypot situation. That would explain the sudden cancelled plans, showering before a sexual encounter, hurried departure to get there on time, leaving most valuables at home before you go to the seedy hotel, happened on New Years Eve, etc. It looks like he “encountered” the wrong person and their crew likely took everything he had at that hotel and killed him. I hope to God My theory is wrong but I’ve seen this story play out enough times

The only thing that does not make sense in this scenario is that his phone was turned off prior to leaving his residence.

 

[KellyConQueso]

It's possible that the 3 people seen in the vehicle had nothing to do with his disappearance and just came across his abandoned car and stole it. Just MOO

That's a possibility. But they did go to the effort to burn it, even after they knew people were out looking for the car and they had been spotted. Most joy-riders would just ditch it. It makes me think they were covering up a more heinous crime.

 

[JJ Ray]

That's a possibility. But they did go to the effort to burn it, even after they knew people were out looking for the car and they had been spotted. Most joy-riders would just ditch it. It makes me think they were covering up a more heinous crime.

I don't believe they knew they were spotted, the friends say they saw them but then went to get security. PD showed up 20 minutes later and they were gone. (12:25 am IIRC).

 

[Psychic Sleuth]

That's a possibility. But they did go to the effort to burn it, even after they knew people were out looking for the car and they had been spotted. Most joy-riders would just ditch it. It makes me think they were covering up a more heinous crime.

True, but it could be they just wanted to eliminate fingerprints.

 

[JurassicParker]

Well this story is very strange. I definitely think the car was burned to prevent any evidence from being found. Evidence of what is the question...

 

[JJ Ray]

A few questions/tidbits; but may be attributed to media interpretations of friends accounts.
1) The friends seem pretty sure of what he would have been wearing that day. Is this his 'normal' around the house attire and an assumption? Is it based on missing clothing? One announcement does say " may be wearing" shorts, black tee, and dark zip up hoody. It has been very chilly in the mornings the past weekend. IMO shorts does not make sense, particularly for someone raised in Glendale and a long term resident.
2) Its not clear from reporting if the friends specifically had Super 8 location from Lexus or only "near" Northern and I-17. If they didn't have exact, why go search hotels as they indicated they started doing? Many restaurants in the area...When they did have Super 8 IDed and did not discover his vehicle there, they started hitting the other Hotels along I-17. The friends indicate he didn't do drugs or rarely drank.
3) it generally takes at least a few hours for vehicle companies to go through their hoops to initiate a vehicle search.
4) He left credit cards and some cash in condo/apt (depending on account.)
5) IMO there is generally a 'whitewashing' initially at least of the victim based on Daniel Robinson and other missing persons accounts. An error, again IMO.

Main theories so far by WS;
1) a morning meet up where he only took the money he was going to need and was running late.
2) Home invasion while in shower and abducted.
3) feel free to add....