A Richfield man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for murdering his roommate, a killing prosecutors say he first tried to explain away as a shower accident before the physical evidence told a different story. Shay Michael Benson pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, a charge that carries an automatic life sentence.
A 911 Call That Did Not Match the Scene
According to KSTP, Benson called 911 on the morning of Sept. 7, 2025, and told dispatchers his roommate had cracked her head open in the shower. When first responders arrived, they instead found the woman deceased in the shower with a cut to the top of her head so deep they could see her skull, along with black, swollen-shut eyes and a broken nose. Benson himself was reportedly covered in blood and had fresh injuries to his hands, per police.
Richfield police said Benson's account of a shower injury did not match what investigators found inside the house. Investigators located blood outside the bathroom, including on the stairs leading to the laundry room, as well as on walls and bookshelves, and they observed areas where blood appeared to have been cleaned up. The Star Tribune, in its initial report on the case, described a 37-year-old man as having fatally stabbed his roommate, while a KARE 11 report listed his age as 38; the dossier does not resolve which figure is accurate.
A Child Found Nearby
The Star Tribune reported that the woman's 2-year-old daughter was found asleep in the home with blood on her arm. That detail, among the most disturbing to emerge from the case, underscored how close the violence came to the household's youngest member even as investigators worked to piece together what happened inside the Richfield residence.
Moriarty Calls It a Horrific Case of Domestic Violence
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described the case as a horrific instance of intimate partner violence. Moriarty said Jennifer's family and loved ones were in her thoughts, and she added that Benson will not harm the community any further. She also said dozens of Minnesotans are killed every year as a result of domestic violence, a statistic she cited in connection with the sentencing.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office confirmed that the plea to this charge carried an automatic life sentence with the possibility of parole after Benson serves 30 years in prison. Under Minnesota's sentencing guidelines, first-degree murder has not been assigned a severity level because, by law, the punishment is a mandatory life sentence, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors
Domestic violence support organizations can connect victims to safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 800-799-7233, and Minnesota Day One can be reached at 866-223-1111. Women's Advocates operates a crisis line at 651-227-8284, while Violence Free Minnesota can be reached at 651-646-6177 or 800-289-6177. Standpoint is available at 612-343-9842, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault can be reached at 651-209-9993, and Mending the Sacred Hoop is available at 888-305-1650.
