Patricia Bennett Murder: Her Phone Kept Texting After She Disappeared
n late 2019, 69 year old Patricia Bennett stopped answering calls from the family who loved her most. Her grandson John had grown up especially close to Patricia, so when weeks passed without hearing her voice, he knew something was wrong. Texts still came from Patricia's phone, but the wording felt wrong, and every request to speak with her was ignored.
Patricia lived in Roseville, Michigan, with her daughter, Carol Marie Rey. As John tried to find his grandmother, he was told Patricia was ill, staying with her sister, or at a medical appointment. But the explanations did not hold up. Patricia's sister said she had not seen her, medical offices confirmed she was not there, and family members began to realize someone was using Patricia's phone to make it seem as though she was still alive.
A Grandson Who Would Not Stop Asking Questions
John did not accept the messages as proof that Patricia was safe. He contacted police and asked for a welfare check. Officers initially encountered more changing stories about where Patricia had gone, but John continued to press for answers because he knew his grandmother would not simply disappear from his life.
During the investigation, police found Patricia's phone hidden inside the home. That discovery directly contradicted the texts and social media messages being sent in her name. Detectives then searched the property and found Patricia's body in a plastic storage container in the detached garage.
The Case Against Carol Rey
Investigators determined Patricia had been shot in November 2019. Authorities also alleged that money had been taken from Patricia's accounts after her death and that her phone was used to communicate with worried family members. Carol was initially charged with first degree murder, along with related firearm and larceny charges.
In 2022, Carol pleaded no contest to second degree murder in Patricia's death. The plea ended the criminal case, but it did not answer every question about Patricia's final moments or the weeks her family was led to believe she was still alive.
In this episode, we tell Patricia's story and look at how one grandson's refusal to accept a strange text message helped uncover the truth.
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