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Cabin in the Woods season 1, episode 1, titled Desert Manhunt, gives an eerie beginning to the series as it highlights the ghastly case of a man named Benjamin Peter Ashley, whose violent spree involved the kidnapping of three people and a murder which was followed by a massive 18-day manhunt in Bakersfield, California.
Ashley, an erratic and aggressive outdoorsman, is the main antagonist in the first episode of Cabin in the Woods, dragging law enforcement and civilians into one deadly cat-and-mouse game with shootouts, hostage situations, and an eventual tragic murder. This episode will show how isolation can sometimes breed evil.
The following is a rundown of the key events of the episode, from the background to the resolution of the case.
Background of Cabin in the Woods
The Cabin in the Woods is an ID series that showcases chilling crimes within remote cabin communities isolated from the urban world but filled with dangers. Cabin in the Woods season 1, episode 1, covers a real-life crime that occurred in 2015 in the deserts near Bakersfield, California.
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This episode of Cabin in the Woods introduces the character of Benjamin Peter Ashley, an off-the-grid type of individual whose erratic behavior brought on a string of violent crimes. The setting is remote, which makes the incident all the more eerie as it outlines the isolation of the victims and how hard it was for law enforcement to track Ashley.
About the crime
This episode starts with a violent and dramatic incident that occurred on July 28, 2015. Benjamin Peter Ashley allegedly took three young men hostage in a cabin near Twin Oaks, California. Although the trio managed to escape, that didn't end the terror.
Just two days later, the body of a 64-year-old retired dentist David Louis Markiewitz, who was shot dead inside his cabin, was found only 10 miles away from the first crime scene. Ashley's rampage had begun, and the community began to live in fear. The action of such moments is dramatized in the show, showing how a quiet cabin area became a venue for vicious crime sprees.
Investigation of Ashley's crimes
Law enforcement launched a manhunt operation, which would last over two weeks in the desert area. On August 1, two SWAT team members were shot while searching a mobile home in Kelso Valley. Police believed that Ashley was hiding in the wilderness east of Bakersfield and that he could use his survival skills to evade capture.
It was a comprehensive investigation, as local law enforcement sought assistance from SWAT teams and other agencies to put Ashley behind bars. The investigation has been aided by tips from locals about his sightings deep into far-flung areas. Despite that, Ashley had managed to evade the investigators for days.
Resolution
The case ended in tragic closure on August 15, 2015, after a call came in about a man who matched Ashley's description near a mini-mart in Inyokern, California, off dirt road Omnis about 40 miles from the actual search area. Deputies found him on a dirt road and Ashley pulled out a gun.
Two sheriff's deputies opened fire and killed him at the scene. It has not yet been determined if Ashley fired shots at the officers, but his death marked the end of the violent manhunt.
Aftermath
The aftermath of the case weighed heavily on the community of Bakersfield and the authorities. The death of David Louis Markiewitz and the trauma faced by hostages and the injured during the investigation marked a dark chapter in regional history.
The manhunt for Ashley was a grueling and dangerous mission for law enforcement, showing just how challenging pursuing a suspect across remote and rugged terrains could be. It shows the emotional toll that has fallen upon both the victims and the police involved, revealing a very human aspect of this tragedy.
Cabin in the Woods, season 1, episode 1, plunges viewers head-first into a real-life tragedy that unfolded in the deserts of California. The series will premiere on ID on September 9, 2024, at 10 p.m.
