In the early morning hours of March 27, 2020, a tragedy unfolded on a remote stretch of U.S. Highway 93 in White Pine County, Nevada, that would cut short the life of a dedicated public servant. Ben Jenkins, a 47-year-old Caucasian male and a Sergeant with the Nevada Highway Patrol, was on duty when he stopped to assist a motorist whose vehicle appeared to be disabled. This seemingly routine act of service took a fatal turn, ending in a violent confrontation that left the veteran officer dead.
The encounter, which occurred shortly before 6:00 a.m., was not a chance meeting. The motorist, later identified as John Dabritz, was reportedly trying to avoid arrest in connection with a series of other crimes. In a desperate bid to escape, Dabritz opened fire on Sergeant Jenkins, fatally wounding him. Following the shooting, Dabritz stole Jenkins' uniform and fled the scene in his patrol car, sparking a massive manhunt that involved numerous law enforcement agencies. Several hours later, the suspect was apprehended.
The investigation that followed revealed the cold-blooded nature of the crime. After shooting Sergeant Jenkins multiple times, Dabritz dragged his body and set it on fire. The motive, prosecutors would later say, was to prevent his own capture. In the end, John Dabritz pleaded "guilty but mentally ill" to charges of first-degree murder, third-degree arson, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, and grand larceny of a firearm. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sergeant Jenkins, a veteran of both the Army and Air National Guard, was remembered as a devoted family man and a highly respected officer who had received the Gold Medal of Valor in 2011, the Nevada Department of Public Safety's highest honor.
