Christopher "Chris" Collinvitti, a 58-year-old male of Caucasian ethnicity, was tragically shot and killed on November 7, 2017, in his garage in Plano, Texas. Collinvitti, an electrical engineer at Raytheon, was returning home from the post office when he was attacked. He was shot twice in the head at close range, and nothing was taken from his home, indicating that the motive was robbery.
The investigation into Collinvitti's death was initially challenging, with no immediate suspects
identified. However, Detective Aaron Benzick's persistent efforts eventually led to a breakthrough. In December 2019, surveillance video helped identify a potential suspect vehicle, and ballistics reports linked shell casings from Collinvitti's murder to other crimes in Dallas County. This evidence led to the arrest of Ladarus Keys, who was identified as the gunman, along with two other suspects, Jacob Malin and Christopher Walker.
Ladarus Keys, 29, was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The other two suspects, Malin and Walker, are awaiting trial. The investigation and subsequent arrests brought some measure of justice and closure to Collinvitti's family, who had endured years of uncertainty and grief.
The case highlighted the dedication and perseverance of law enforcement in solving complex crimes, even when initial leads are scarce. The community of Plano was deeply affected by the loss of Collinvitti, a well-respected engineer and family man.
