In the winter of 2022, the lives of two people were tragically cut short in Elkhart, Indiana. Dustin Scott Carr, a 37-year-old male, and his fiancée, 22-year-old Haley Smith, were found deceased on the morning of Sunday, February 13, 2022. An employee arriving for their shift at the Papa John's on Cassopolis Street discovered the couple's bodies and immediately alerted the police.
Carr, the manager of the establishment, and Smith, an employee, had been closing the restaurant the previous night.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly pointed to a former employee, 19-year-old Jose Benitez-Tilley. It was revealed that Benitez-Tilley had been at the Papa John's on the evening of Saturday, February 12, asking for a job. He reportedly lingered and spoke with Carr before leaving, only to return a short time later. Surveillance footage captured a vehicle, later identified as one associated with Benitez-Tilley, in the parking lot and driving behind the restaurant with its lights off around the time of the murders.
Upon his arrest, Benitez-Tilley confessed to the killings. He admitted to returning to the restaurant for a second time that night and shooting both Carr and Smith with a handgun. Following the murders, he attempted to sexually assault Smith's body. Benitez-Tilley also stole Smith's purse, jewelry belonging to Carr, and cash from the restaurant's office before unsuccessfully attempting to dispose of the bodies. The Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney's Office described the killings as 'targeted' and assured the public that there was no ongoing threat.
In a plea agreement, Jose Benitez-Tilley Jr. was sentenced in July 2022 for two counts of murder. He received a 65-year prison sentence for each count, with the sentences to be served concurrently. As part of the plea deal, a charge of attempted abuse of a corpse was dismissed.
