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

[branmuffin]

Very sorry to hear about Ben's death. I hope they find those responsible soon. Once they catch them I bet they find this murder is not a one-off.

 

[CluelessWonder]

What I am thinking here is that Ben stopped for food and/or gas on his way home after a long drive, and a group of street thugs saw a guy alone with a Lexus late at night. They probably wanted to have a big New Year's Eve but lacked the cash. So they followed him home and busted into his apartment.

They may have stripped him so that he would be unlikely to attempt to flee. Or maybe Ben simply stripped down in the kitchen because he lives alone and was planning to hit the shower. Their original intention was probably to steal the car and/or force Ben to withdraw money from an ATM. It's tough to say what happened after they left, but the obvious and sad reality is that it included murdering Ben and burning the car to cover up their crime. Thankfully, his friends acted quickly to make sure they won't get away with it. I suspect that they'll be caught soon. As for the hotels, there is a good chance that the cheaper hotel is a semi-permanent residence for one or more of the criminals. Lots of people are now renting rooms by the month in large cities. Some of my students have families who do this.

 

[Hexe]

IMO, the theory of the potential overnight guest or morning crime is weakened by the finding of the wet towel.

I know in my house, even a sopping wet towel set out at 9am would be quite dry by 6:45pm. Especially so if the towel was just damp from being used post-shower.

The wet towel suggests (to me) that Benjamin, or perhaps someone else, was in his place sometime in the afternoon.

As much as I do not want to wrote it, the wet towel makes me think about tortures. Waterboarding to be precise.

 

[ClaireNC]

Oh so sad. Ben seemed like a great guy. Prayers and positive energy being sent for all who loved him. RIP Ben.

 

[JurassicParker]

I'm so confused. Have his bank accounts been checked? What was the point of all of this if not for money? BUT..it was stated that money and his credit cards were left at the apartment. If that's the case, then why? Also why torch the car? Why not chop it up and sell it for parts? If money was the main motivation? Why abduct a man, kill him and leave with nothing? JMO

Edit by me: AND why did these idiots go to a hotel in his car with surveillance and throw themselves under the bus? Not smart people at all.

 

[EGirl]

What I am thinking here is that Ben stopped for food and/or gas on his way home after a long drive, and a group of street thugs saw a guy alone with a Lexus late at night. They probably wanted to have a big New Year's Eve but lacked the cash. So they followed him home and busted into his apartment.

They may have stripped him so that he would be unlikely to attempt to flee. Or maybe Ben simply stripped down in the kitchen because he lives alone and was planning to hit the shower. Their original intention was probably to steal the car and/or force Ben to withdraw money from an ATM. It's tough to say what happened after they left, but the obvious and sad reality is that it included murdering Ben and burning the car to cover up their crime. Thankfully, his friends acted quickly to make sure they won't get away with it. I suspect that they'll be caught soon. As for the hotels, there is a good chance that the cheaper hotel is a semi-permanent residence for one or more of the criminals. Lots of people are now renting rooms by the month in large cities. Some of my students have families who do this.

Ben got back from his trip on the 30th. He talked to his friend on the morning of the 31st to cancel breakfast plans. If someone followed him home, they waited a long time to go in. JMO

 

[formerlyme]

I am from that general area. I grew up about 2 miles from the intersection of the Sheraton crescent, my parents still live there; my high school jrotc ball was held at that hotel. I later lived a half mile north of the intersection and walked it daily as I worked at Metrocenter. It is a horrible area. Really all of Phoenix is, I moved away from the metro area 7 years ago.
My theory about the car being found at the Sheraton is that was the closest/most familiar place to the people who took his car that had a large parking garage to conceal the vehicle. I don't think Benjamin was with these people at either hotel location. I think they stole his car, did something to him closer to home, went to super 8 to make a drug deal, then tried to find a place to hide the vehicle to buy time. I'm super tired (have a particularly stressful situation related to another AZ crime going on right now) so probably missing some details and not making sense :/ moo.

yes that area is a high drug area and crime in general very bad from Glendale north, so I think that this makes a lot of sense and sounds to me plausible. He could have ran out for something like gatorade even after a long night and was carjacked...

 

[swanniee11]

Such sad news. I have to commend his friends and family who did everything they could to locate him. Prayers for Ben and to his family and friends. Just from reading their pleas shows the love that Ben had in his life. God Bless!

 

[evilwise]

He just had gotten back from visiting friends upstate huh? And there was some kind of a problem at work.

 

[Psychic Sleuth]

He just had gotten back from visiting friends upstate huh? And there was some kind of a problem at work.

I'm still wondering about these "friends" that he supposedly went to visit. Did he ever arrive? What kind of friends were they?
From my understanding, he did not TALK to his friends to cancel brunch on the morning of the 31st but texted them. Anyone could send a text.
Supposedly there was a sighting of him on the 31st but was it him or just his car?
So many unknowns and so senseless.

 

[Hexe]

I'm still wondering about these "friends" that he supposedly went to visit. Did he ever arrive? What kind of friends were they?
From my understanding, he did not TALK to his friends to cancel brunch on the morning of the 31st but texted them. Anyone could send a text.

DS clearly said Ben called him at about 8 am to cancel the breakfast meeting.

 

[CluelessWonder]

Ben got back from his trip on the 30th. He talked to his friend on the morning of the 31st to cancel breakfast plans. If someone followed him home, they waited a long time to go in. JMO

I'm not sure that we know exactly what time he got home. In one article, it says he was driving a lot the night before the 31st.

 

[branmuffin]

Do we know the time MCSO found BA's body and how long after his phone call canceling brunch?

 

[formerlyme]

just a thought, any word that he may be a driver for like uber or lyft? just the wording of him being tired from driving a lot made me think, a lot of folks do it for extra money ...

Just a thought

 

[JJ Ray]

I just want to pause for a second and say excellent legwork today, JJRay. Your video and research of the hotel area was greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

What I am thinking here is that Ben stopped for food and/or gas on his way home after a long drive, and a group of street thugs saw a guy alone with a Lexus late at night. They probably wanted to have a big New Year's Eve but lacked the cash. So they followed him home and busted into his apartment.

They may have stripped him so that he would be unlikely to attempt to flee. Or maybe Ben simply stripped down in the kitchen because he lives alone and was planning to hit the shower. Their original intention was probably to steal the car and/or force Ben to withdraw money from an ATM. It's tough to say what happened after they left, but the obvious and sad reality is that it included murdering Ben and burning the car to cover up their crime. Thankfully, his friends acted quickly to make sure they won't get away with it. I suspect that they'll be caught soon. As for the hotels, there is a good chance that the cheaper hotel is a semi-permanent residence for one or more of the criminals. Lots of people are now renting rooms by the month in large cities. Some of my students have families who do this.

Super 8 should be canvassed for tall blonde with pink beanie and the others. Hopefully all this is in the file from Phoenix PD and will be turned over to Maricopa County Sheriffs Office.

 

[JJ Ray]

Do we know the time MCSO found BA's body and how long after his phone call canceling brunch?

Reporting has not said but I think we can assume it was found before sundown at about 5:20 or so. Ben's phone supposedly was off at 9:00am

 

[JJ Ray]

For those thinking he was actually abducted the night before and possibly killed and dumped in New River on the way down from Flagstaff...How would they possibly know to send a text cancelling brunch plans the next morning? And as @EGirl pointed out, why wait till Dec. 31st morning to home invade?

Here's an updated timeline; with latest times from Last Night's reporting and Daily Beast article.
Compiled by @KellyConQueso and JJRAY
ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON REPORTING
12/31/2021
8:00 AM - BA calls DS, cancels breakfast plans
8:03 AM - DS texts BA about work issue
8:03 AM - BA replies to text
9:00 AM - BA phone off
- At some point, homicide and body taken to New River, discovered.
6:00 PM - BA's aunt and friend start calling DS
6:45 PM - DS goes to BA's condo?/apt?
7:30 PM - BA is reported missing to PD
9:25 PM - Lexus calls PD, vehicle last located at the Super 8 by Wyndham, I-17 and Northern Ave.
At some point, Officers dispatched but friends also learn from Lexus the general location, begin searches of hotel lots.
10:30 PM - PD contacts DS and told car is not at Super 8. Friends continue search of other area hotels.
1/1/2022
12:10 AM ? - Friends see BA's car with people that are not BA on 4th level of Sheraton parking garage. Car leaves while they go to get help.
(One Account says the friends chased the car, went through a dirt lot, car tried to hit them, went wrong way (IMO frontage rd.))
12:25 AM - PD meets at Sheraton, canvasses, pulls video.
1:00 AM- friends return to BA's apartment.
1:58 Am - Citizen App has uploaded video of car on fire, FD responds and puts out.
3:45 AM - Friends have continued to push Lexus, Lexus rep indicates last known location at Cave Creek Park (just east of UEI)
4:00 AM - vehicle found burned at UEI College parking lot by friends.

 

[CEO.SPW]

Reporting has not said but I think we can assume it was found before sundown at about 5:20 or so. Ben's phone supposedly was off at 9:00am

Hello everyone! I am new to this site so if I am not doing something right or have missed the answer to my question, I apologize in advance!
@JJRay, great information! The outcome is so unfortunate! I should not assume because you never know, but from the image of Ben that is online, I don’t see him living close to a “known bad/drug area”. And unless you were extremely comfortable with the area and people there, I would assume that if you wanted a “late night snack or drink”, you would go to a convenient store in a safer area?!? I was looking at your map and curious to know if you knew roughly where his condo was in relation to the other known locations. Just curious.

 

[Mccrackenator]

MCSO served a search warrant at BA’s apartment today. Hopefully they found something that can help lead to the killers

 

[JJ Ray]

Hello everyone! I am new to this site so if I am not doing something right or have missed the answer to my question, I apologize in advance!
@JJRay, great information! The outcome is so unfortunate! I should not assume because you never know, but from the image of Ben that is online, I don’t see him living close to a “known bad/drug area”. And unless you were extremely comfortable with the area and people there, I would assume that if you wanted a “late night snack or drink”, you would go to a convenient store in a safer area?!? I was looking at your map and curious to know if you knew roughly where his condo was in relation to the other known locations. Just curious.

I believe it is near 7th St. and Maryland Ave. (my old 'hood') but that is only from a single line in early reporting by MSM that said he was last "seen" near there. Which in reality was a phone call or text between Daniel S. And Ben at 8:00 in the AM. <modsnip>There is a new large apt. building at that corner (Alta Uptown Phoenix), IMO he lived there. The corner with surrounding apts is marked in yellow in the lower right corner of the map. Approximately 4.5 to 5 miles to the Super 8. My post #83 (give or take) talks more about that corner.