Found Deceased NC - Kristen Ashley Bennett, 24, Carteret County, 14 Aug 2018 *Arrest*

[CasesNeedClosing]

“Trey Branche is no longer cooperating.” Big surprise. He’s been advised to keep his mouth shut. Now he and his attorneys will look at the state’s case to see how strong it is. If it is weak he’ll try for the “no body, no proof of death” defense. If it is strong, which I believe it is based on what we’re hearing on msm, he will use leading LE to the body as a bargaining chip. He’s facing life without parole and will try for a reduced sentence.
JMO

Exactly. They caught him in a bunch of lies, found a bunch of evidence and then he decided not to cooperate. That DA office doesn't seem to charge people without full confidence they will convict, so he better use whatever bargaining chip he has.

 

[Vail]

Man, all I can really think about right now is how crushed CB must feel. They better keep T far away from him.

If they have evidence of her body in his car, my first guess of his direction would have been north towards his parent's, and then burial or disposal in a body of water he knows about. Smith's Swamp stands out as a long stretch of Hibb's that looks easy to pull out on. Is it well lit or travelled at night?

Also Landfill Rd and the pond on it - they really have their work cut out for them. I doubt he went very far into the treeline if he chose woods.

 

[mrskeev]

Man, all I can really think about right now is how crushed CB must feel. They better keep T far away from him.

If they have evidence of her body in his car, my first guess of his direction would have been north towards his parent's, and then burial or disposal in a body of water he knows about. Smith's Swamp stands out as a long stretch of Hibb's that looks easy to pull out on. Is it well lit or travelled at night?

Also Landfill Rd and the pond on it - they really have their work cut out for them. I doubt he went very far into the treeline if he chose woods.

HIbbs Rd does have lights but I wouldn't say it's "well lit", but it is well traveled, even at night and very early mornings. The northern part of Hibbs where Smith's Swamp is located is probably the best lit because it's across the street from Newport Middle School and a large park that is pretty heavily used called Fort Benjamin. I'm not sure how accessible Landfill Rd is to vehicles after dark. This road is used by commercial garbage trucks to access the dump site. Residents use the area right on Hibbs Rd for their garbage.
We are surrounded by woods and water, forest roads and hidden trails and even a water filled sinkhole just off of a trailhead on 24, Bob's Sinkhole. Unfortunately for investigators IMO this area will prove to be a difficult one to search. They know this area well, though so I will just have to have faith that they will find her and bring her home to her family.
I am just heartbroken for her family and friends. I didn't know Kristen well but did have many interactions with her at Dollar General. She was a sweet girl and always seemed to have a smile on her face. I know that she will be missed greatly by her loved ones.

ETA: It would be tough to just pull over anywhere on Hibbs Rd and not be noticed. There is no direct access, that I know of, to Smith's Swamp from Hibbs Rd. There is a place where hunters are known to pull of and park on Hibbs, south of Smith's and south of Hwy 70 but a vehicle will be noticed.

 

[mrskeev]

I've never actually driven down Landfill Rd but after looking at Google maps, I have to agree with Vail, it seems like a place someone might dispose of someone. Once you drive down that road the woods are so thick in that area that it would be difficult for someone to see you from Hibbs Rd. The only thing is I don't know if it's lit up or monitored by the county in any way as I've never been on it. Tomorrow have to take a trip to the dump so I will see if there are gates on Landfill Rd they may lock up when the dump is closed.

 

[DocBrew]

Didn't LE say they have evidence from wooded area nearby? If so, that is where she likely is. In a week or two if she isn't found via searches, she will likely be found by monitoring nature's habits.

JMO.

 

[OldCop]

Picked up 2 interesting tidbits on SM today - 1) A woman reports she saw Branche carry the couch into the yard the day after Kristen was reported missing. The next day the yard was cleaned up and the two mattresses were brought out. WS’ers noticed these items still on a trailer after LE conducted the search warrant on the home. @mrskeev , did you notice if they were still there the other day? I wonder if the woman meant the day after the report was made, the 16th, or the day after she allegedly went missing, the 14th. It could make a big difference since it was not the boyfriend who reported her missing but her mother, according to msm, or her sister who said on SM that she reported it. When did Branche tell Kristen’s family she was missing? Did he give himself a day to destroy evidence?
2). A person on SM who is friends with the family is alleging that one of the pieces of digital evidence that led to Branche was that he was caught on a deer cam in the woods near the home. Hunting is a big part of life in NC and it would not be unusual to put a deer cam in the woods. Perhaps they have him carrying her body or caught his truck on one of the dirt roads in the woods, but don’t know what direction he took after passing the cam.
Nether of the above statements have been verified, but if true, could have significance.

 

[DocBrew]

Yeah, the couch and mattresses in the front yard have always disturbed me. That law enforcement appears to have left those items at the house is astounding considering the circumstances. Then again, I suppose it all could have been collected later on when more seasoned investigators came on scene.

JMO.

 

[OldCop]

Yeah, the couch and mattresses in the front yard have always disturbed me. That law enforcement appears to have left those items at the house is astounding considering the circumstances. Then again, I suppose it all could have been collected later on when more seasoned investigators came on scene.
JMO.

Agree. That’s why I was wondering if @mrskeev noticed them when she did her video on Tuesday which I can’t view. The search wasn’t conducted until a week after her disappearance and now it’s been another 2 weeks. That’s a long time in the elements. I hope the woman who posted this on SM has notified the authorities as to what she saw. Every bit of evidence helps.

 

[mrskeev]

Picked up 2 interesting tidbits on SM today - 1) A woman reports she saw Branche carry the couch into the yard the day after Kristen was reported missing. The next day the yard was cleaned up and the two mattresses were brought out. WS’ers noticed these items still on a trailer after LE conducted the search warrant on the home. @mrskeev , did you notice if they were still there the other day? I wonder if the woman meant the day after the report was made, the 16th, or the day after she allegedly went missing, the 14th. It could make a big difference since it was not the boyfriend who reported her missing but her mother, according to msm, or her sister who said on SM that she reported it. When did Branche tell Kristen’s family she was missing? Did he give himself a day to destroy evidence?
2). A person on SM who is friends with the family is alleging that one of the pieces of digital evidence that led to Branche was that he was caught on a deer cam in the woods near the home. Hunting is a big part of life in NC and it would not be unusual to put a deer cam in the woods. Perhaps they have him carrying her body or caught his truck on one of the dirt roads in the woods, but don’t know what direction he took after passing the cam.
Nether of the above statements have been verified, but if true, could have significance.

I just drove past her house today on my way to the dump and yes, all the furniture is still in the yard on the trailer. Also, as I suspected, Landfill Rd has a large, tall chainlink gate that is closed and locked when the dump site is closed making it near impossible to access after hours.

 

[Alethea]

Agree. That’s why I was wondering if @mrskeev noticed them when she did her video on Tuesday which I can’t view. The search wasn’t conducted until a week after her disappearance and now it’s been another 2 weeks. That’s a long time in the elements. I hope the woman who posted this on SM has notified the authorities as to what she saw. Every bit of evidence helps.

Ugh, the furniture left outside reminds me of Brookelyn Farthing. The owner of the house where she was last seen torched a sofa and the fire department treated it as an accidental fire unrelated to Brookelyn's disappearance for weeks. The burned out sofa was left outside through rainstorms and was completely destroyed in the elements so no evidence could be recovered from it.

 

[Alethea]

Thankfully it's not like Brookelyn Farthing because TB has been arrested and charged with murder. But I do wonder about the furniture left outside!

 

[insearchoflight]

Me too! It looked like new furniture though.

 

[insearchoflight]

Also, I wonder about the other family living in the house. Would be extremely odd if no one living in that house has nothing to report. Either actually witnessing the crime or afterwards observing strange behavior/cover up/cleaning etc.

Since the reports are that they have a significant amount of evidence I’m wondering if any of the testimony from family at the house is part of that evidence.

 

[Alethea]

Also, I wonder about the other family living in the house. Would be extremely odd if no one living in that house has nothing to report. Either actually witnessing the crime or afterwards observing strange behavior/cover up/cleaning etc.

Since the reports are that they have a significant amount of evidence I’m wondering if any of the testimony from family at the house is part of that evidence.

And WHO is the family? One article said "her parents" but I don't think they actually lived with her parents.

 

[insearchoflight]

And WHO is the family? One article said "her parents" but I don't think they actually lived with her parents.

From SM and articles, I don’t think she lived with her parents. I’ve only seen it reported as “other family members”.

 

[LaylaD]

From SM and articles, I don’t think she lived with her parents. I’ve only seen it reported as “other family members”.

The house is owned by KB and TB. From everything I've read on SM, it was two of them, plus their son, living there.

 

[insearchoflight]

Carteret DA: Boyfriend charged with killing girlfriend had child with her
Carteret County deputies spent most of Thursday searching the property where the 24-year-old woman, her boyfriend, and family live.

CCSO searches home in hunt for missing woman (updated)
Ms. Bennett lives at the house on Hibbs Road with her boyfriend and family.

So is “family” just the son? I read in other articles early on that she shared the home with Branche, the son, and other family members. That could have been incorrect because now the articles only state “and family” as listed above.

 

[LaylaD]

Thankfully it's not like Brookelyn Farthing because TB has been arrested and charged with murder. But I do wonder about the furniture left outside!

I have no idea about how search warrants work. Is it possible that the search warrant only covered the interior of the house (along with the cars)? And, if so, why didn't they go back for possibly additional evidence?

 

[jpo74]

There is a church near their home as well as several other businesses that may have captured something on camera. There is also a landfill, several ponds, and the Croatian National Forest abutting Hibbs Rd.

i wish there were another outcome but from the start the bf story was hinky. my best guess where he put her would be landfill

 

[OldCop]

I have no idea about how search warrants work. Is it possible that the search warrant only covered the interior of the house? And, if so, why didn't they go back for possibly additional evidence?

Yes. Usually search warrants are pretty specific as to where they can search and must state what they are looking for although this may be more broad in description. For instance, a warrant might say they could search the residence at 123 Smith St. If they were looking for stolen televisions, they couldn’t look in a small drawer. If they were looking for drugs, obviously they could search in much smaller places. However, in a case like Kristen’s the affidavit probably said they had reason to believe she had been harmed in the home and they wanted to search for evidence of that crime. This would give them a lot more leeway as they might have asked to search for weapons, blood evidence etc. If they wanted to search an area such as a detached garage, yard, or vehicle, that would have to be outlined in the affidavit. Although the affidavit has not yet been made public, it appears that the home and two cars were specified in the warrant.
I am at a loss as to why the mattresses and sofa have not been taken away and examined at this point.