WEBVTT - Crime Alert 07.26.24 2PM

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<v Speaker 1>Crime Alert. I'm Drew Nelson breaking crime news now. A

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<v Speaker 1>Florida pastor faces the death penalty for charges of photographing

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<v Speaker 1>himself raping a very young girl two years old. Jonathan

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<v Speaker 1>Elwing is forty three. He is charged with multiple child

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<v Speaker 1>sex offenses, including two capital felonies for sexual battery of

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<v Speaker 1>a minor. The pastor's arrest shocked the Palm View Baptist

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<v Speaker 1>Church congregation in Palmeadow, Florida, where he served for five years.

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<v Speaker 1>Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells labeled Elwing quote a monster

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<v Speaker 1>for his actions. Initially charged with possessing child pornography, further

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<v Speaker 1>investigation found at least fourteen images of him abusing the

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<v Speaker 1>young girl on his cell phone. Detectives discovered eight covert

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<v Speaker 1>cameras in Elwing's church office and two more at his home.

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<v Speaker 1>Elwing is held without bond at Manatee County Jail. The

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<v Speaker 1>pastor could receive a life sentence without parole or the

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<v Speaker 1>death penalty under a twenty twenty three Florida law for

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<v Speaker 1>sexual battery of a child under age twelve. The church

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<v Speaker 1>is cooperating with the investigation. They are urging members to

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<v Speaker 1>report any relevant information to the authorities. Pastor Ryan Akers

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<v Speaker 1>expressed horror at the allegations and emphasized his support for

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<v Speaker 1>Elwing's family. During this time, Elwing admitted to purchasing adult

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<v Speaker 1>pornography and claimed he deletes any child sex abuse material

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<v Speaker 1>that might be mixed in. Detectives received a tip about

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<v Speaker 1>Elwing using cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material, leading

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<v Speaker 1>to a search of his home and the church. Elwing

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<v Speaker 1>resigned from his position at the church before his arrest.

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<v Speaker 1>Detectives are continuing to examine Elwing's cell phone and expect

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<v Speaker 1>to find more illegal material on his computer, with more

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<v Speaker 1>charges potentially forthcoming up next, a woman allegedly kills her

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<v Speaker 1>husband so she can become a single mom. More crime,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm injustice news after this. A woman is on trial

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<v Speaker 1>for the murder of her husband in September of twenty twenty.

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<v Speaker 1>Amidst the court battle, prosecutors claim Ashley Benifield, aged thirty two,

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<v Speaker 1>killed her husband, Douglas Bennifield, aged fifty nine, to become

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<v Speaker 1>a single mother to their young daughter. Benifield admits the shooting,

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<v Speaker 1>but argues it was in self defense after years of

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<v Speaker 1>alleged abuse. Prosecutors counter that Doug was shot while facing away,

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<v Speaker 1>indicating the act was premeditated. The marriage between Doug and

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<v Speaker 1>Ashley was troubled. They had a thirty year age difference.

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<v Speaker 1>They met at a twenty sixteen Republican fundraiser and married

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<v Speaker 1>two weeks later. Dougs a Navy veteran and a wealthy

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<v Speaker 1>technology consultant. He funded Ashley's establishment of a ballet company.

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<v Speaker 1>Then their relationship deteriorated, leading to a contentious divorce and

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<v Speaker 1>allegations of infidelity and abuseh earlier filed multiple abuse allegations

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<v Speaker 1>against Doug, but a judge found no evidence of abuse.

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<v Speaker 1>In court, text messages between Doug and Ashley are highlighted

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<v Speaker 1>as the prosecution wraps up its case. Text messages between

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<v Speaker 1>Doug and Ashley are highlighted in court as the prosecution

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<v Speaker 1>wrapped up its case yesterday, messages that had been exchanged

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<v Speaker 1>as they prepared to move from Florida to Maryland. The

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<v Speaker 1>last text message was five thirty two pm on September

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<v Speaker 1>twenty seventh of twenty twenty. Shortly after that, Ashley claims

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<v Speaker 1>she shot Doug in self defense after he attacked her.

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<v Speaker 1>Ashley's defense attorney states that she was searching for ways

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<v Speaker 1>to get along with an abusive ex spouse, but the

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<v Speaker 1>judge denied these searches as hearsay. A crime lab analyst

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<v Speaker 1>testified there was no evidence of gunshot residue on Doug's shirt,

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<v Speaker 1>suggesting he may not have been at close range when

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<v Speaker 1>he was shot. The prosecution rested their case after the

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<v Speaker 1>analyst's testimony. The defense started its case earlier today. The

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<v Speaker 1>trial is expected to last over two weeks. The FBI

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<v Speaker 1>offers a reward of fifteen thousand dollars for information leading

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<v Speaker 1>to the return of a boy named Elijah vu amidst

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<v Speaker 1>the circumstances of the disappearance. The boy's mother, Katrina Bower,

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<v Speaker 1>has a plea hearing set for August fifth. Elijah View

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<v Speaker 1>is three. He was last seen wearing gray pants, a

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<v Speaker 1>long sleeved dark colored shirt, and red and green dinosaur

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<v Speaker 1>slip on shoes. He might also be carrying a red

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<v Speaker 1>and white blanket. He disappeared February twentieth of this year.

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<v Speaker 1>Bower is facing charges of chronic child neglect and obstructing

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<v Speaker 1>an officer. She's been in police custody for about five months,

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<v Speaker 1>arrested just days after Elijah's disappearance. She's pleaded not guilty

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<v Speaker 1>to the charges. Police found a deleted picture on Bower's

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<v Speaker 1>phone showing Elijah blindfolded on a bed with apparent bruises

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<v Speaker 1>on his jaw, neck, and arm inside her boyfriend's apartment.

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<v Speaker 1>Elijah Vieu has dark blonde hair and brown eyes. He's

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<v Speaker 1>about three feet tall, three years old of munged. If

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<v Speaker 1>you have any information about Elijah Vie, please contact Two

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<v Speaker 1>Rivers Police or your local FBI office. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>submit a tip online at tips dot FBI dot gov.

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<v Speaker 1>For the latest crime injustice news, go to crimeonline dot

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<v Speaker 1>com and follow crime stories with Nancy Grace on your

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<v Speaker 1>favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm Drew Nelson.