On an autumn evening in New Paris, Pennsylvania, the tranquility of the small community was shattered by a chilling 911 call. It was October 31, 2019, when 35-year-old Benjamin Lee Figard sat in his car in the driveway of his home and calmly informed the dispatcher that he had shot his wife and stepdaughter. This call set in motion a grim discovery and a heart-wrenching investigation into the deaths of 40-year-old Amanda Jane Figard and 12-year-old Laina Rae Haney.
When state troopers arrived at the Rocklick Hollow Road residence, they found Benjamin Figard and took him into custody without any resistance. Inside the home, a horrific scene awaited them. In the basement, they discovered the bodies of Amanda and Laina. According to Benjamin's account to the 911 operator, he had shot his wife in the basement earlier that afternoon. He then shot his stepdaughter in the living room before moving her body to the basement to be with her mother. Despite the efforts of the responding troopers to perform lifesaving measures, both Amanda and Laina were pronounced dead at the scene by the Bedford County Coroner.
The investigation that followed painted a disturbing picture of the events that transpired. A handgun was recovered from the ground near Benjamin Figard’s car. Inside the house, authorities found evidence of an attempted cleanup, including the presence of carpet cleaner that had been purchased from a local store just hours after the shootings. This suggested a calculated effort to conceal the violent acts that had taken place.
Taken to the state police barracks for questioning in the early hours of the following morning, Benjamin Figard allegedly confessed to the killings of his wife and stepdaughter. He was subsequently arrested and faced a litany of charges, including two counts each of first-degree murder, criminal homicide, and voluntary manslaughter, as well as a misdemeanor charge for tampering with physical evidence. Following his arraignment, he was denied bail and incarcerated in the Bedford County Jail to await further legal proceedings.
