Richfield Man Arrested After Roommate Found Dead in Basement
A suspect has been arrested after police say his roommate was found dead with a head injury inside a Richfield home early Sunday.
Just after 5 a.m. on Sept. 7, officers responded to a 911 call from 37-year-old Shay Michael Benson, who reported a medical incident involving a woman at his residence on the 6400 block of Bloomington Avenue South.
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When officers arrived, they found a 37-year-old woman lying on the floor of the basement bathroom and with a severe head laceration, a spokesperson with the Richfield Police Department says. Medical crews attempted lifesaving measures, though she died from her injuries.
Officers noted signs of a struggle in the basement living area and police say Benson—who originally placed the emergency call—was covered in blood and had fresh injuries to his hands.
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Benson’s account of what happened did not align with the evidence at the scene, investigators said, and he was arrested on suspicion of murder. Formal charges have not yet been filed.
Benson has a slew of prior criminal convictions in Minnesota, including 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2009, domestic assault in 2006, domestic abuse in 2007 and for violating the terms of his predatory offender registration.
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name and the case remains under investigation.
