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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (BFMG) — A 20-year-old active-duty Marine stationed at NAS Pensacola has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 26-year-old woman whose body was found in Mobile, Alabama.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said Thursday that Google searches found on Willie Ellington’s phone point to a premeditated attack on Tshey Bennett, who was reported missing last Saturday.
“This is a heck of a case,” Simmons said. “Disturbing, chilling.”
Timeline
Bennett was last seen at the Sweet Dream Inn off Davis Highway in Escambia County on Friday. Friends and family reported her missing Saturday evening after her phone suspiciously went offline while it still had battery power, Simmons said.
Evidence found in her hotel room raised immediate suspicions, according to the sheriff.
“The door was left open. Her car was still in the parking lot. Her phones were left in the hotel room,” Simmons said. “There was a cord — PlayStation-type cord — in the room, and the bedding from the bed was missing as well.”
Investigators began working the case as a potential homicide, obtaining nearly 10 search warrants. Their efforts led them to Mobile, where a deputy found Bennett’s body in a ditch in the Birdville area. Mobile police assisted Escambia County deputies in the search.
“We found out that [Ellington] had been to the Mobile area,” Simmons said. “Investigators did a good job tracking that area, and unfortunately, they found the victim.”
The sheriff said the body was discarded in a ditch in an abandoned neighborhood that served as a water retention area. While Mobile police said the death took place in Northwest Florida, not Alabama, an autopsy scheduled for Friday is expected to clarify the cause and timing of Bennett’s death.
Evidence of Premeditation
Sheriff Simmons said Ellington’s phone records revealed several Google searches before meeting Bennett. These included searches for:
- “What does a dead body look like after two days?”
- “How many prostitute murders go unsolved?”
- “Does someone scream if they’re being strangled?”
“This was a premeditated attack,” Simmons said.
Unrelated to the murder case, investigators said they also found child pornography on Ellington’s phone. He is facing separate charges for those materials.
Deputies arrested Ellington on Wednesday in Opelika, Alabama, near Auburn, after learning he was trying to leave town.
Possible Fraud Charges
Because Ellington allegedly transported Bennett’s body across state lines, the sheriff said he could face federal charges in addition to the charges filed in Escambia County.
“This was a premeditated attack,” Simmons said.
Unrelated to the murder case, investigators said they also found child pornography on Ellington’s phone. He is facing separate charges for those materials.
Deputies arrested Ellington on Wednesday in Opelika, Alabama, near Auburn, after learning he was trying to leave town.
Occupation Disclosure Sparks Debate
Sheriff Simmons addressed criticism for disclosing Bennett’s work as an escort, explaining that it was relevant to understanding Ellington’s motive.
“I get that. But it is part of the investigation,” Simmons said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and her family. No one should be treated this way, obviously.”
Simmons said Ellington used Bennett’s occupation to target her.
“We think he used her position to go after her,” Simmons said. “He felt like this was someone he could victimize and get away with it. I think there are some occupations that are preyed upon, and that’s what we wanted to make sure people understood.”
Ellington remains in the Lee County Jail in Alabama, where he is being held for transfer to Escambia County.
