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Benjamin Peter Ashley, who was a prime suspect in cases including the kidnapping of three young boys, the killing of a dentist, and the shooting of members of the SWAT team, was gunned down in 2015. His terror spree came to an end when officers tracked him down. When he did not surrender, he was killed.
Season 1 episode 1 of Cabin in the Woods, titled Desert Manhunt will delve into his crimes as it airs on September 9, 2024, at 10 pm EST. The official synopsis of the show as per ID reads:
'A father's desperate search for his daughter leads him to an abandoned cabin in rural Canada."
5 details about Benjamin Peter Ashley's crimes
1) Benjamin Peter Ashley kidnapped three young boys
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As reported by ABC News, Benjamin Peter Ashley attacked the trio - Jonathan Perez, Will Kleier, and Keyton Cornelius on July 28, 2015, while they were out in the woods hunting. He held the friends hostage in his cabin near Twin Oaks, California, and threatened to kill them. The trio felt helpless for hours as Ashley was armed with a sawed-off shotgun. However, later they managed to escape and save themselves.
Cornelius told ABC News after his escape:
"We’re in the middle of the woods...He could have shot the gun a thousand times and no one would have heard it.”
2) Benjamin Peter Ashley shot members of the SWAT team
Reports state that on August 1, 2015, Benjamin seriously hurt two SWAT officers who were tasked with apprehending him. The SWAT team's attempt to apprehend Benjamin was unsuccessful after he fired at the team members with a shotgun when they arrived in the Kelso Valley and then fled the site.
3) He killed a retired dentist
Benjamin murdered David Louis Markowitz, a 64-year-old dentist, according to NBC News. He was reportedly shot by the killer and his corpse was discovered inside Benjamin's cabin. The motive behind this murder remains unclear to date.
4) Benjamin Ashley was schizophrenic
Benjamin reportedly had several mental health diagnoses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and paranoia. Due to this, he began living alone and in isolation. It is possible that his mental health issues contributed to his crimes.
5) Benjamin put propane tanks around his cabin
According to ABC News, Benjamin surrounded the cabin with propane tanks while holding Cornelius, Kleier, and Perez captive. They were even more terrified since they knew that if they attempted to flee, he might explode the cabin with a single shot.
Jonathan Perez talked to ABC News about the incident and said:
“Pretty much that whole entire two hours, he was just debating whether he should kill us or not."
Cornelius also recalled the same and added:
“He (Benjamin Peter Ashley) said, ‘Bam bam bam, all of you guys can be in heaven right now.’”
To know more about Benjamin Peter Ashley's crimes, watch episode one of Cabin in the Woods on ID.
