By Andrew Selsky, AP
Police converged in force on the tiny, unincorporated community of Wolf Creek in southwest Oregon the night of Jan. 26 as they hunted for a suspect who was wanted for kidnapping and torturing a woman nearly to death — and who had previously been convicted of a similar crime in Nevada.
Five days later, Benjamin Obadiah Foster was dead, finally located by police hiding in the crawlspace under a house in nearby Grants Pass, the same home where his victim had been found unconscious and bound a week earlier. In the interim, Foster entered another home and killed two strangers, leaving a gruesome scene as he evaded one of the biggest manhunts in the state in recent memory, police said Wednesday.
In 2019, Foster held his then-girlfriend captive for two weeks in her Las Vegas apartment while torturing her. Police said he broke seven of her ribs, blackened both her eyes, choked her to the point of unconsciousness and forced her to eat lye before she managed to escape. Foster already had a suspended jail sentence on a concealed weapons charge and was awaiting trial in another domestic violence case.
Two months after he cut a deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to one to 2 1/2 years, he was set free on Oct. 21, 2021, the same day he was transferred to a Nevada state prison. A Nevada corrections official said Foster was released because the judge credited him with 729 days of pre-sentencing jail time.
Fifteen months later Foster, a 36-year-old bartender, was in a relationship with a woman in Grants Pass. On Jan. 24 her friend grew concerned because she hadn’t been seen for several days. The friend went to the woman’s house, where she was found beaten to unconsciousness, bound and near death. The victim remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday.
The case rattled Grants Pass, a town of 40,000 that has seen high unemployment and poverty rates and public safety layoffs with the decline of the timber industry. Police said they were bringing all their resources to bear to find Foster.
“We are laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice,” Police Chief Warren Hensman told a news conference Jan. 26. “This is an all-hands-on-deck operation.”
That same night, Grants Pass police, sheriff’s deputies, an Oregon State Police SWAT team and federal agents carried out the raid in Wolf Creek, set amid forested mountains with traffic on Interstate 5 zooming past nearby. Agents seized Foster’s car, which he had driven over an embankment in an apparent effort to hide it, and arrested a 68-year-old woman for hindering prosecution. But Foster had vanished.
Investigators believed he had help fleeing the area. The next day, police announced that he was using dating apps to find people who could help him avoid the police or to find new victims. Authorities offered a $2,500 reward for Foster and set up a tip line.
One call came from a cab company saying a man had requested a taxi from Sunny Valley, just south of Wolf Creek, Hensman said Wednesday. Police went around checking area homes to ensure residents were all right.
But through the window of one house, they saw what appeared to be a crime scene. They entered and found the bodies of Richard Lee Barron Jr. and Donald Owen Griffith, who were killed sometime between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and died of blunt force trauma, according to Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy.
“It’s a brutal scene, unfortunately, that we’re processing,” Kennedy said. There’s no indication that Foster knew Barron or Griffith, who lived together, before the killings.
Several items were taken, as well as the men’s dog. On Tuesday, Foster was spotted 20 miles (30 kilometers) to the south in Grants Pass — with the dog.
Law enforcement officers wearing helmets and bulletproof vests rushed to the neighborhood with rifles and at least one armored vehicle. They searched the nearby house where they had found the woman the previous week. It was a nerve-wracking situation, according to the police chief.
“While we’re deploying teams to secure the residence, we also have to take into account what this man just did — he brutally murdered two innocents in Sunny Valley, and we didn’t know when he was going to stop,” Hensman said. Area residents were told to shelter in place.
Officers searched the house and didn’t initially find anyone, but then they sent a sheriff’s department robot to the crawlspace and found signs Foster was burrowed deep underneath the home. His presence was confirmed by a camera. The fugitive had water and other supplies stashed there, apparently in hopes he could wait out the police presence undetected.
The officers expected a gunfight, but instead Foster shot himself in the head, according to Hensman. Police moved in and found Foster unconscious, wedged under the house and holding a .45-caliber pistol. Officers had to cut into the floorboards to extract him.
Foster was taken to a hospital, where he died Tuesday night.
“This was a long and arduous task,” Hensman said. “It ended with Benjamin Foster taking his own life.”
This is just “collateral damage”. From the primary goal of lowering the population in American jails and prisons. Which has always been the goal of the Libertarians Liberals and the Left. Because they complain America has too many people locked up, who they compared to other countries.
We do have way too many people locked up. Our criminal justice system clearly doesn’t work.
It should probably be replaced with a more rational system, involving financial restitution where possible, flogging for some lesser offenses, banishment for others, and execution for serious violent criminals like this man.
After what this guy did to the woman several years ago, he probably should have been executed.
“After what this guy did to the woman several years ago, he probably should have been executed.”
I totally support the government executing convicted first degree murderers. But the Libertarians Liberals and the Left do not.
But they do support the police, Representatives of the government, when they kill the innocent and the guilty. Because they support the police carrying guns. And I support disarming the police, and issuing them nightsticks, and the train to use them.
I and the vast majority of America who are rational, also supported the Singapore government, when they administered the punishment of the cane, to a visitor to their country. An American citizen who violated their laws. And committed what is considered a lesser offense in the United States.
But the Libertarians Liberals in the left do not support the use of the cane.
We do not have a justice system in America. What we have is a revenge system. Get an 18-20 yo who commits a non violent crime and grind him down for the rest of his life. 1 non violent felon y ruins him and his chances forever.
And the biggest tragedy in American history has been the ‘war on drugs’.
There’s no such thing as justice. Crimes cannot be uncommitted and the victims will always have been victimized.
The only realistic options are people defending themselves in the moment or rapid execution/imprisonment/expulsion to Australia to prevent recidivism.
Justice and rehabilitation are not real. Such harsh dealings would necessitate the end of most if not all malum prohibitum nonsense freeing up resources for dealing with malum in se matters.
Was going to say Wednesday in any bail reform state but yours is more accurate.
Sounds like “Good riddance to bad trash”.
One less to worry about. If the system had worked, there would be one less victim, and pencil dick would still be alive. I know this won’t win me any friends, why are 2 different women having sex with that piece of shit? His charming personality? I wonder how many good men were passed over for a piece of shit like that.
Redneck.45lc,
There are two fairly rational explanations for why multiple women engaged that scumbag.
The first possible explanation: he was very charming and wooed them until they trusted him–and then he dropped the hammer on them. That process of wooing the woman and deceiving her would be a “fun” game for that scumbag.
The second possible explanation: he was a scumbag all along and the women who engaged him simply had zero self-esteem. Note that women who have zero self-esteem still yearn for love and companionship which makes them vulnerable to scumbags such as this piece of garbage.
I was wondering, in the same vein, what it is with these guys and their silly phoney scraggly ass hipster beards. Must get them laid by moron chicks. Explain this current idiotic fad with some other logic.
Is the pickup by spinning a fable about their time with Seal Team 6? With ZZ Top? Riding with the Donner Party? Living in a tent under an overpass? Ridiculous and undisciplined BS. Just go get a neck tattoo.
Didn’t Jeffrey Dahmer do all the same stuff? Including early release from prison? When do we learn?
Did Foster eat his gay lovers too?
Looks like a prime recruit for the ss/antifa to me.
sounds like dacian in a few years.
m.fukhead…Perp looks lily white like you and it looks like your ignorant bigoted reply to another post flew out the window and bit you on your bigoted behind.
Giving a person credit for time spent behind bars for a charge after arraignment for that charge is the proper and legal thing to do.
We’ll, at least he wasn’t able to pass a NICS check, buy an AR “LEGALLY” and then murder a dozen more people.
There really needs to be some sort of national push to criminalize those directly responsible for early releases, cashless and other catch and release programs, especially when additional people suffer loss, injury or death as a result of these woke actions.
The coddling policies of not holding violent offenders responsible not only allow, but promote further crime. One may argue that “the accused” is innocent until convicted in a court of law, but today, many of these crimes are actually caught on surveillance cameras and such. A trial is one’s right, but with such real photo/video evidence, a trial does not need to last weeks, months or years.
Craig in IA,
“There really needs to be some sort of national push to criminalize those directly responsible for early releases, cashless and other catch and release programs, especially when additional people suffer loss, injury or death as a result of these woke actions.”
I believe that our states and the federal government should institute a new felony crime for exactly what you describe–and I believe the perfect title of that crime is, “Breach of the Public Trust”.
Of course that will never happen because it requires government to hold itself accountable.
One of the first things my sister and to deal with in law school is there is no connection between law and justice.
Tell us again how the new ATF pistol brace rule makes us more safe from evil like this?
COURT SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN , LET HIM LOOSE , SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO OLD SPARKY , IN THE FIRST PLACE …
THOSES WHO LET HIM GO FREE , AN OTHERS LIKE HIM , , SHOULD BE PUT IN JAIL ,,,
SEE HOW QUICK SYSTEM SETS CRIMINALS FREE THEN …
FRIGN DUMB ASS COURT SYSTEM .. WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE A TIMES …
LOW CLASS JUDGES AND LAWERS .. SHOULD BE LOOKED UP … SETTING PEOPLE~ANIMAL LIKE HIM LOOSE …
Sounds charming.
He’s *single*, dacian ;-). Come get him!
How long should a sentence be? If the person is expected to be rehabilitated a 1-5 year sentence should be enough. 1 year and he might have his family to return to;5 years and many would not. Anything longer just institutionalizes him/her and they will be a burden to society for the rest of his life.
The system should have the capacity to rehabilitate these people. Stamping someone with a felony is bad enough that he/she will have problems ever finding a “real” job, keeping them locked up for more than 3-5 years doesn’t help.
If the crime is bad enough that they need to be kept in jail longer, then just give them life and throw away the key
Is that not what liberals want instead of execution, they want life sentances?
BS with “Rehabilitation”. Prison is for punishment. But (unlike today) it must be swift, sure and severe enough that they KNOW they don’t want to risk being sent. So they behave within the expected norms of society.
Perhaps should be trained in a useful manual labor skill while locked up but that is entirely different than the kumbyan “Rehabilitation” BS.
bring back the three strikes, you are out justice system
The 3 Strikes idea was flawed, and I don’t support it. What I *do* support is the idea of District Attorneys actually prosecuting criminals fully, and both Governors and Legislatures (I’m looking at you, Dems) leaving full sentences in place and not releasing early or watering down the consequences in the name of “woke inequity” for (insert your favorite marginalized intersectional minority here).
We
havehad a system in place for generations. The Left/Dems have mucked it up. Can’t mention God in school. Can’t quote Scripture to someone seeking to kill their unborn baby or permanently mutilate their body due to feelings that don’t match their biology. Can’t call the cops when someone’s walking out of your store with several hundred dollars’ worth of unpaid goods because the criminals won’t be arrested and charged. Can’t carry in an increasing list of areas because the Politicians scream “for public safety”, all while those same Politicians are releasing criminals from prison early.Not only is the system broken, but the larger fabric of society itself is unraveling.
3 strikes was any felony? Been a while since I heard of it as opposed to habitual offender where it’s more with multiple repeat violent offenses often with weapons or gang affiliation the judge has the floor of sentence discretion removed. I tend to agree with that especially with how easily swayed some electable prosecutors appear to be.
Five days later, Benjamin Obadiah Foster was dead, finally located by police hiding in the crawlspace under a house in nearby Grants Pass…
Hiding while dead? Neat trick.
That explains why he wasn’t in prison.
You see, it’s very difficult to convict Schrodinger’s Violent Offender. Besides, at best you get Schrodinger’s Felon and that means that he probably passes a BGC half the time and of course there’s the 50% chance he’s incarcerated illegally when you check the cell too.
Fuckin’ around with the fabric of reality like that just gets way too messy for a DA to deal with. Shit, I’m not sure Neil deGrasse Tyson could handle it.
I think that’s actually an error due to poor writing. He was hiding, located by the police/robot, and then decided to eat a bullet. OR he ate a bullet upon hearing that they were sending in a robot, AND THEN the robot ‘found’ him DRUT.
But yes, good news all around and congratulations to the DA who no longer has to worry about how they can wheel and deal an early release so that they protect their image as ‘helping’ the community.
it’s F’g Oregon…it’s not like taking his own life cheated the hangman. OR has not executed anyone since 1997. Saved the State and the stupid, stoned Citizens of Oregone millions in trial and incarceration costs. Pretty sad that he denied some Soros Prostitutor the chance to Woke him out of jail another time.
This is what evil looks like.
Its time for citizens to form groups to do what the justice system will not…we must protect the innocent by any means necessary…
I notice that the Nevada judge who released this sick individual thought that 729 days was basically an adequate incarceration for his utterly malevolent crimes and that no more was needed. Eating lye may yet kill her as it will turn to “soap” any tissue in the gastrointestinal tract it touches, like her esophagus Two years for an obviously dangerous criminal.
Also noticed that AP didn’t bother naming the judge. Wonder why. That ought to be mandatory.
nevada let arthur bomar out so he could murder amy willard in one of the eastern states. sitting on death row for 20+ years, no problem. timothy buss let out after 12+ years in illinois, after murdering a 5 yr-old girl – murdered 10 yr-old boy after release.
parole board people “did something” i guess.
I think people like this should be punished for life because they ruin other people’s lives.
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