Florida – In a harrowing act of violence that shocked Florida residents, an 18-year-old man, M. Ojeda, has been charged with first-degree murder after stabbing an 81-year-old man, P. Benway, with whom he lived in a group home and was described as a “good person.”
According to reports, Ojeda, who had only moved into the group home the day before the deadly attack, is now facing first-degree murder and evidence tampering charges in the brutal killing of Benway.
According to the sheriff’s office, Ojeda stabbed Benway more than 100 times as he lay in his bed in the home they shared with three other people. The facility was managed by a private company in charge of supervising people in need of housing assistance.
According to authorities, the murder occurred early Sunday morning, when Ojeda entered Benway’s room while the elderly man was sleeping in bed. According to Ojeda’s confession, Benway did not resist the attack, instead asking him, “Why would you want to do this to me?” before succumbing to his injuries.
Despite the violent nature of the killing, Ojeda reportedly admitted during questioning that he had no issues with Benway and even referred to the elderly man as a “good person.” However, when asked why he committed such a violent act, Ojeda told detectives that he did it because Benway was “already dying.”
Sheriff G. Judd described the killing as a “senseless and tragic act of violence” and stated that his department worked quickly to arrest Ojeda and obtain sufficient evidence to support the charges.
The investigation revealed that after the stabbing, Ojeda cleaned the murder weapon, a kitchen knife, and returned it to its original location in the butcher block.
He then washed off the blood, removed his stained clothes, and placed them in his laundry basket. Investigators stated that his actions demonstrated clear intent and knowledge of wrongdoing.
While Ojeda is likely to claim mental illness, Sheriff Judd stated unequivocally that the evidence strongly supports premeditation. “It’s a no-brainer that the defense is going to be that of insanity,” Judd said, “but I’m telling you, he had clear criminal intent.
He acted with malice and forethought, and then he made the effort to conceal the weapon.” Detectives confirmed that all physical evidence found at the scene, including the weapon, the condition of Ojeda’s clothing, and his DNA, supported his version of events.
The calculated nature of his actions, from cleaning the knife to concealing bloodied clothes, prompted law enforcement to dismiss any claim of temporary insanity without further investigation.
The tragedy shocked those who knew Benway. Benway reportedly enjoyed his life at the group home and was in good spirits just days before he was killed in one of the most heinous and heartbreaking crimes local authorities have witnessed in recent memory. Ojeda remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
