The story of Benjamin Obadiah was featured on Netflix's recent docuseries Worst Ex Ever, which premiered its first episode Dating the Devil in August 2024. The first episode in the series unravels the story of Justine Siemens, whose brief relationship with Benjamin Obadiah Foster turned into a life-threatening ordeal.
In late 2022, Justine Siemens and Benjamin Obadiah Foster met while working at a bar in Grants Pass, Oregon, further getting into a short-lived relationship. By January 2023, the situation had escalated dramatically.
Foster had a history of violent behavior, and he attacked Siemens in her own home after she discovered his past and informed their employer, leading to his dismissal. For three days, Foster physically and psychologically tormented Siemens, employing restraints and inflicting severe injuries - eventually inducing traumatic brain damage.
The ordeal ended on January 24, 2023, when Siemens managed to alert her friend Angie, who immediately contacted the police. Upon arrival, they found Siemens in critical condition, as Foster had fled the scene. He was later found by police, hiding in a crawl space under Siemens' house. As law enforcement closed in, Foster ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot.
The impact on Siemens was profound, as she required extensive hospitalization and rehabilitation to recover from her injuries, marking her long road to recovery.
5 harrowing details about Benjamin Obadiah’s crimes
1) Initial attack and captivity
In late January 2023, Benjamin Obadiah Foster initiated a calculated attack on his girlfriend Justine Siemens after she discovered and exposed his violent past, leading to his firing from their shared workplace. Foster broke into Siemens' home, where he restrained and assaulted her over a span of three days.
During this period, he used physical bindings to limit her movement and inflicted multiple injuries, including severe beatings, that ultimately resulted in traumatic brain damage. Siemens was isolated and unable to seek help until she finally managed a desperate call to her friend Angie who alerted the authorities.
2) Police manhunt and discovery
Following the assault on Siemens, Foster fled the scene, which prompted an immediate and intensive manhunt by local law enforcement. The search culminated when police discovered Foster hiding in a makeshift hideout under Siemens’ house.
The discovery was made after multiple searches of the area, indicating Benjamin Obadiah’s familiarity with the environment, and his premeditated plans to evade capture. Despite efforts to coax him out peacefully, the situation took a turn when Foster chose to end his life with a self-inflicted gunshot as police closed in.
3) Escalation to lethal violence
After the brutal assault on Justine Siemens, Benjamin Obadiah Foster's propensity for violence escalated further, resulting in the deaths of two innocent people during his attempt to evade police capture. While on the run, Foster took refuge in a nearby rural area, where he broke into the home of an elderly man and his caretaker.
Both individuals were found murdered as victims of Foster's desperate attempts to avoid arrest. The violent spree perfectly exhibited Foster's increasing danger to the community and spotlighted the need for urgency of his capture.
4) Previous violent history
Benjamin Obadiah Foster had a well-documented history of violence that predated the incident with Siemens. His criminal record included assaults and restraining order violations involving multiple women in Las Vegas. His past incidents were characterized by similar patterns of controlling behavior, physical violence, and psychological manipulation.
Despite this past, Benjamin Obadiah’s behavior escalated unchecked until his lethal confrontation with Siemens. His previous encounters with law enforcement had resulted in brief incarcerations and temporary restraining orders, which ultimately failed to prevent further violence.
5) Impact on the survivor
Justine Siemens suffered extensive physical and emotional trauma as a direct result of Foster’s actions. After being found severely injured at her house, she was hospitalized in critical condition and faced a prolonged recovery that involved both physical rehabilitation and psychological counseling.
Siemens' injuries were so severe that they necessitated a lengthy hospital stay, during which she had to relearn basic physical activities and receive ongoing treatment for brain damage. The physical and psychological impact of the entire ordeal continues to affect her daily life and activities.
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