Woman arrested in boyfriend’s death 26 years after she accused ‘intruder,’ CA cops say
A 22-year-old was stabbed to death in the middle of the night in his California apartment in 1996. At the time, his girlfriend said an intruder had broken in and killed the man.
More than 25 years later, that woman is now accused of her partner’s killing.
The Santa Ana Police Department said it arrested Jade Benning for the death of her boyfriend, Christopher Hervey.
On Jan. 4, 1996, police responded to a call at about 3 a.m. after receiving reports of an intruder who allegedly broke inside Hervey’s apartment in Santa Ana and stabbed him numerous times, according to a news release from authorities.
Officers said Benning, who lived with Hervey at the time, told police an intruder entered their apartment.
During their investigation, officers said they learned that several neighbors reported hearing a “loud argument” inside the apartment that lasted about 15 minutes.
Despite detectives’ efforts, the case went cold for years.
That was until January 2020, when officers said they received an anonymous letter stating that Benning was involved in the unsolved death.
Officers said a detective from the Homicide Cold Case division examined the case again and consulted several forensic experts. Following the forensic testing, authorities said they were able to collect enough evidence to arrest Benning.
The woman had moved to Las Vegas in 2001 and later relocated to Austin, Texas, where she was still living in 2020.
The U.S. Marshalls Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested Benning near her residence in Austin on May 3, according to the release.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Woman arrested in boyfriend’s death 26 years after she accused ‘intruder,’ CA cops say."
