A Carrollton man is facing a murder charge after his girlfriend was found dead in a vehicle on the side of I-35 last week. Police arrested 38-year-old Donny Benedict after detectives linked evidence from the scene to his home. The victim, 41-year-old Vera Pitulic, had been reported missing to the Grapevine Police Department last Monday and was found the next day.
Police: Body Found On Shoulder Of I-35
Last Tuesday, the North Texas Emergency Communications Center got a call about an unconscious person in a vehicle on the shoulder of southbound I-35 near the 2500 block of Carrollton. Carrollton Police and Carrollton Fire-Rescue responded and found Pitulic dead inside the vehicle. Detectives say evidence gathered by Carrollton and Grapevine investigators led them to secure a search warrant for Benedict’s home and ultimately arrest him, according to FOX 4.
Booking Records Show Murder Charge
Benedict, 38, has been charged with murder and is being held in the Collin County Jail. Public booking records list a Donny Nicholas Benedict with last Tuesday's booking and a reported charge of “MURDER,” per RecentlyBooked. Details on formal charges, bond, and court dates were not included in the initial police statement.
What Officials Have Not Said
Carrollton police have not publicly provided a possible motive and have released few specifics beyond the missing-person timeline and the discovery along I-35. The department says the investigation is ongoing and that additional information will be released through official channels, according to FOX 4.
