The Murders of Aaron Bourne and Michael Benbow

Oct 23

Oct 23 The Curious Murders of Aaron Bourne and Michael Benbow

This week I am covering 2 murders very similar to last week where I covered the Ibrahim Sesay and Ka’Ailyah Rainey cases. There isn’t much news coverage on either case and both of these men are from DC and were killed in southeast DC. However regardless their story deserves to be told so they can be removed from the unsolved homicide list on the Metropolitan Police Department website.

It is no secret that gun violence in Washington DC is an issue Councilmember Trayon White, who is born and raised in DC has gone out publicly multiple times speaking against gun violence. Sometimes it feels like just because it's a shooting in what seems like no motivation that there isn't a true Crime Story to tell. There isn't exactly a salacious explanation. There isn’t a scorned lover, or a vengeful coworker. There's nothing that can really add a gasp and make a person want to be interested more. There is no nosey drama or intriguing fact. However that does not mean that is not true crime. When a person decides to load a gun, and go out with the intent to kill, it is terrifying. It is even more devastating when the victim was unintended or when there wasn’t really a true motive to their death. The truth is, senseless crime is the scariest of all because it can be prevented. It makes you wonder the type of person that can go out and commit a murder just for the sake of it.

Aaron Bourne has an unforgettable smile, there is no denying that. He stood about 5’9 with long locks that he would dye red on occasion. He was fashionable, he always had a cool style to whatever he wore. He wore a nose piercing and had a few tattoos going along his arms. Aaron was known by friends to be outgoing, and always willing to help. He was hard working and motivational and cared a lot about his family and friends. He went by AR by his loved ones. He was a father son brother and friend. Aaron was originally from Mansfield Ohio Located midway between Columbus and Cleveland. With about 46 thousand people. The crime rate is high. Worse than about 92% of other cities in the United states. Still Aaron found a way to make it through. He attended Croslin High School and graduated in 2012, the same year as me. He then went to Ohio Technical College for a year for collision and refinishing. It is unclear when exactly Aaron moved to DC, he actually was living in Virginia at the time. He lived in Columbus for awhile before. But sometime in his early 20s he made it up north to the DMV area. Aaron was clearly loved and made friends wherever he went. Most of the pages that I found of him were covered in comments people sending hearts, shocked by his murder, wishing him a happy Father's Day, even though he wouldn't be there to see it. Aaron's Facebook is vague, he notably would change photos every once in awhile but pretty much abandoned the page in 2017 which makes sense, it was around Instagram’s boom. Aaron was born February 25th 1994 and died a month before his birthday on January 28th 2021. Which is where it gets confusing, Aaron was shot on January 28th at 11:44 PM, but it is unclear if he died instantely or made it into the 29th.

Unfortunately this case is going to leave you with more questions than answers. The first is that Aaron who was living in Woodbridge VA was at 1300 Morris Rd SE the night that he died. He was in a residential area, and there is no explanation as to why he was there. There isn't any information that was given out about if he was visiting someone, or if he was on his way home. We don't know how long he was there, and we don't know if he was with anyone else that night. All we know is that Aaron was inside an apartment complex that night. The complex isn't large it's a couple stories and it's pretty easy access to get in. There's a parking lot in the back, but again it isn't clear whether Aaron was driving or was going to make his way to a metro station. Officers from MPD's Seventh District responded to a report of gunshots and found Aaron inside the apartment building suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, Aaron remained on the scene until being transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

For about four months the case went absolutely cold. There was no updates, no explanations, no motive. Until Thursday May 27 2021 in a pursuant to a DC Superior Court custody order members of the capital area regional fugitive task force arrested and transported a 15 year old juvenile male of southeast DC and he was charged with felony murder. Because he is a minor his name has not been made public. Council member Trayon White called on Mayor Bowser to officially make DC a state of emergency due to homicides. This case is one giant mystery. It's not clear whether Aaron knew the 15 year old and it isn't clear what the 15 year old wanted. In none of the case research are there any signs of a struggle or a robbery. And why was the shooting inside of the apartment complex? I'm not sure if Metropolitan Police department leaves some of these cases up under unsolved homicides because they forgot to take them down, or if there's more to the story and thus the case is still open. But for whatever reason 26 year old Aaron was murdered that January night. He leaves a sea of family and friends devastated and more questions than answers.

This next case has even less answers then the one before. On Thursday April 1st 2021 at approximately 4:21 PM 18 year old Michael Benbow was shot and killed in the 2600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. That afternoon Michael was in an apartment complex with two other peers. It's not clear whether they were friends or acquaintances when a shooting took place. When police arrived at the scene 2 victims were found. Michael and another young girl around his age. Michael died on the scene and the young girl suffered a graze wound and was sent to the hospital to treat her injuries. At this time she also has remained anonymous most likely for her safety. The Wednesday before two other people were shot dead and three were left with non threatening injuries in the same Congress Heights area. The two people who were murdered in that case was 25 year old George Evans and 28 year old Keosha Ferguson. It has not been made clear whether these murders are connected nor is it clear what the motive was.

Michael was of a smaller stature. He was brown skin had high top haircut at the time. Photos of him usually show him smiling, one picture in particular he sat with a stack of money. Could photos like that make him a target? There isn't much online about Michael, I couldn't find his obituary, and I couldn't find any of his social media. They must have been made private sometime after his death. What I do know is that during this time from January to April homicides were extremely high in the southeast area. It's not clear whether the young girl knows anything or if she even feels comfortable and safe enough to talk. The police were pretty hush about the case for a while there was not much follow up that was printed or publicized.

There is something strange that I noted in this case, and I thought it was a mistake. I know sometimes when I am searching for cases people’s information doesn’t always line up. They'll describe a height as different or what the person was wearing is different or even their location.

But as I was searching Michael Benbow's murder I noticed that a year ago the Metropolitan Police department had given an announcement there was a break in a separate case. The case of 28 year old David DeAndre Young of Clinton MD who had been murdered on April 3rd 2020 at around 6:50 PM in the 2600 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. He was transported to a local hospital that night and after all lifesaving efforts failed, he was pronounced dead. Police officers had located a juvenile male victim who was also receiving treatment at another hospital.

By August 2nd of 2020 an arrest warrant was made for a 20 year old male in southeast DC and he was arrested for first degree murder while armed, and just two weeks later on Wednesday August 19 2020 an arrest warrant for 17 year old Michael Benbow of southwest DC was arrested and he was charged as an adult with first degree murder.

Now here is where it gets confusing, either these are two totally different boys with the same name who were the same age in 2020 and are unrelated. Or this is the same Michael who would then be murdered a little less than a year later, in the same location. I was hesitant to share this case because I don't have complete clarity. In theory either Michael could of spent some time in jail for another murder, and when he was released was also murdered, and maybe his murder has something to do with David Deandre Young’s. Or he has nothing to do with this, and these are two different Michael Benbows. There are no photos two distinct, so for now this is all speculation. Nonetheless 18 year old Michael Benbow as of April 1st 2021 was murdered and there has not been any justice or answer on who did it, why they did it, and where they are now.

People want shock value, I get it. There's a reason why my self care blogs do just alright and my true crime pieces do pretty well. But to me the most terrifying part of all of this is the fact that two people were murdered and all I have is a web of hearsay and no truth or push to real answers. Aaron was killed by a 15 year old. Who was he ? Why did he do this? What would his life have been like if he didn't pull the trigger. And Michael, was he involved in another murder the year before? Are these two completely different people? Were the two people that were shot with him a target or was it just Michael? Metropolitan Police department currently offers rewards up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information and you can give anonymous tips at 202-727-9099 you also can text the tip line by sending any updates 250411. I'm not sure if there will be any updates on either of these cases but I will keep them posted as time goes by. Aaron and Michael have more mysteries to their deaths than what meets the eye. It isn't just another shooting in southeast DC area. There is clearly more to the story here, and someone knows something.