On the morning of June 30, 2023, 36-year-old White/Caucasian female Marilyn Ranae Benham and her boyfriend, Jordan Green, were in their Rio Rancho, New Mexico, residence when a neighbor reported hearing an argument followed by the sound of gunfire at approximately 7 a.m. and quickly alerted the authorities. The Sandoval County Sheriff's Office dispatched deputies to the home on 6th Avenue to investigate the report of two people having been shot.
Upon arriving at the scene, law
enforcement could not immediately locate the victims. The suspect in their deaths had attempted to conceal the crime by moving their bodies to a desert area. A search of the area was conducted, and K-9 units were able to locate the remains of both Ms. Benham and Mr. Green. The investigation led authorities to identify a suspect in the double homicide.
Law enforcement officials arrested Elbert Turner in connection with the deaths. Turner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. While the circumstances that led to the fatal shootings are still under investigation, the suspect was quickly detained following the discovery of the victims. Marilyn Benham was the mother of two sons, Jathan, who was 18 and had recently graduated high school, and Eli, who was 12.
