By David Lohr

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April 12, 2007

FREDERICK, Md. (Crime Library) —The FBI has added a description of 25-year-old Deysi M. Benitez to the "Kidnappings and Missing Persons Investigations" section of their Web site. Benitez is the 46th person to be added to the site. Benitez gained national attention in recent weeks after police discovered the bodies of her husband and four children in the family's home.

Deysi M. Benitez

On March 26, a liaison worker with the Hillcrest Elementary School went to the Benitez residence at 1252 Danielle Drive to find out why the family's oldest children had not attended school the previous week.  When no one responded to knocks at the door, the liaison worker alerted the Frederick Police Department.

When police arrived on the scene they made entry through an unlocked window. Immediately upon entering, officers were overtaken by a horrendous smell. Upon further investigation, they discovered 28-year-old Pedro Rodriguez hanging by a length of rope from a second-floor handrail.  Inside nearby bedrooms, the children—Elsa, 9, Vanessa, 4, Angel, 3, and Carena, 1—were all found dead in their beds.  Blankets covered each of the children's bodies.

House, Crime Scene

Shortly after the discovery, Lt. Thomas Chase spoke with members of the media.  When asked about possible suspects, he suggested that Rodriguez was responsible for the murder of the children.

"You've got four dead people and a guy that hung himself. That leads you to one possibility," he said.

According to Chase, Benitez had not shown up for her job at Outback Steakhouse for more than a week, and neighbors said they had not seen her since March 18. 

"The mom's being sought so we can verify her welfare and find out what she can tell us," Chase said.

Pedro Rodriguez

According to friends of the family, Rodriguez worked at a Masonite International Corp., a door manufacturing plant.  On March 15, Rodriguez learned that the plant was closing and that he was going to lose his job.  Family members now wonder if that news could have pushed him over the edge.

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Contact  David Lohr at           crimewriter74@hughes.net