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On November 18th, Jasmine Benjamin, 17, was found dead in a study room in her Valdosta State University dorm. She was a graduate of Central Gwinnett High School and had moved onto the college campus to study to become a nurse, like her mother.
Benjamin’s parents unfortunately found out about their daughter’s death via Facebook.
Benjamin’s parents said they were initially told that she died of natural causes, but within 24 hours, everything changed when police found evidence that turned the case into a murder investigation.
The family hired a private investigator to seek information about their daughter’s death because they already had their suspicions about who could be possibly by responsible and facebook came into play yet again.
On Dec. 3, two days after what would’ve been Jasmine Benjamin’s 18th birthday, Darien Joseph Meheux, an ex-boyfriend of Jasmine’s, changed his Facebook profile picture to a shot of the couple in formal, prom-style attire.
Now here we are a little over a month later, and Meheux has been arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as the prime suspect in Benjamin’s murder.
Details + mugshot below…
Late Thursday evening, not quite two months after Benjamin was found dead inside a study room at her Valdosta State University dorm, Meheux turned himself in to authorities in rural southwest Georgia a town called Ellaville.
He has now been charged in his former girlfriend’s murder.
“Meheux turned himself into the (Schley County) sheriff’s office after being made aware of a murder warrant which had been taken for him for the death of Jasmine Benjamin,” Steven Turner, special agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Thomasville regional office, said Friday.
Benjamin was last seen in the study room in Georgia Hall around midnight Nov. 17. Twelve hours later she was still in the study room, but was found unresponsive.
Students had walked past her lifeless body for hours, assuming she was asleep.
For the first time since her body was discovered back in November, authorities made public the cause of Benjamin’s death: asphyxiation.
No other details about the investigation by the GBI, Valdosta State University Police and Valdosta city police were released Friday but according the to AJC, Robin Martinelli (the private investigator hired by the family) says the arrest was not a surprise to the family.
“I think they’re absorbing everything today,” Martinelli said. “This just happened.”
Jeremy Napier, 19, Benjamin’s friend and VSU classmate said that Benjamin and her former flame appeared to still be friends “somewhat.”
“When we first met, [Meheux] came off as a really nice guy,” Napier said.
“But I had been hearing things about him.”
Meheux graduated from Central Gwinnett the same year as Jasmine and followed her to the college, although VSU officials said he was only enrolled for one semester.
Napier said Meheux lived in a dormitory building closeby Georgia Hall, where Benjamin lived and where she was found dead.
Meheux turned himself in in Ellaville after being made aware of the murder warrant taken out for him, the GBI said.
After the arrest, Benjamin’s family released the following statement,
We would like to thank the GBI and the Valdosta police on the arrest of Darien Mehuex.
We are grateful for everyone’s prayers and concerns, and we ask at this time that everyone respect the family’s privacy.
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So sad
So glad to know that her family will finally get some peace and hopefully, some answers as to WHY he did this!! She was so beautiful and my heart aches for this family.
Very poorly written article.
Marcus… Really??? Is the composition of the text important or is the story itself more important??? This girl was killed in the name of graveyard love. I think the story is more important than your grade on the composition.
Dana T.
This story hits kind of close to home with me. I’ve been to VSU’s campus many times as my niece attended college there. My prayers and condolences go out to the Family of this young lady. R.I.P.
Jasmine is such a beautiful girl. When I read her story I thought there was no way she could have died of natural causes. If this guy did murder her (as he is innocent until proven guilty), it will be a damn shame for him to throw his life away and most importantly kill a girl he says he loves.
Thanks for the update. I wondered about this and felt it had to be someone close to her. A very sad story. RIP Jasmine and sending prayers to her family.
Finally, I was thinking about that last night, at least that fool turned himself in? Why are our young men killing their former girlfriend, friends, whatever…
More than 80% of women murdered are murdered by their significant other.
This is sad, so sad….
I’m grateful that her family has some answers.
That percentage is so very sad. I’m also grateful her family is getting some closure.
I was just about to type that same statistic. Its obvious men are becoming more and more jealous of women these days. At least I believe he was jealous of her success. So sad
May this young lady’s soul rest in peace and her family find comfort. We’re it my family member it would greatly disturb me to see a photo of them in such an intimate kiss knowing he murdered her. Poor decision to print this. How do you think her mother feels looking at these photos? As a mother my heart breaks just looking at these. There has to be filters at some point. Where is the line drawn? It’s almost seems she is being exploited for more readers.
Completely agree with your comments – not to mention how poorly written the article is.
Very upsetting. An intelligent, beautiful, young lady, doing something with her life and had her whole life to look forward to. What a waste of something so precious. My thoughts are with her family.
Sending my condolences to Jasmine family this just breaks my heart so sad and I wouldn’t have posted the pics of them kissing to hard on the family…. God Bless her family…..
I AM SOOOO GLAD THEY CAUGHT THIS GUY BECAUSE I HAVE A LIL COUSIN WHO IS CURRENTLY ATTENDING VALDOSTA AS A FRESHMAN. I BEEN SO NERVOUS SINCE THIS HAPPENED ALTHOUGH SHE APPEARED TO BE AT EASE ABOUT THE SITUATION. SHE ATTENDED THE VIGILS HELD FOR JASMINE AND EVERYTHING. NOW I CAN BREATHE A LIL SIGH OF RELIEF.
A lot of young women are experiencing abuse in relationships and keeping silent. Please speak to the young women in your life and ask them if they are suffering. And keep your antenna open for signs: he’s possessive; he’s verbally abusive; he’s jealous; he’s using drugs. You may save a child’s life by helping
That’s why you need to stay away from them Haitians.
REALLY?? Show some tact & respect!
Are you that bored that you needed to say something that ignorant to get attention? If you knew better you would do better
I hate to see a young woman who planned on dedicating her life to helping others, die so brutally! I hope WHO EVER is responsible rot in jail, then burn in the fiery pits of hell!
These young men have absolutely nothing in life to look forward to. They need mentors. The economy is messed up. There are no jobs. All they have are those dum azz pit bulls. Its time we started raising our sons (even if their dads are not there) to RESPECT LIFE and WOMEN!! There is no way this young man could have committed this crime if he was raised right. He is ANGRY!! He is TROUBLED! How in the world could this have happened if he had any compasion in his heart. My condolences go our to the family. I am truly, truly saddened that this young lady lost her life in sunc an unnecessary way. As a nation, we need help.
We know nothing about his upbringing so it is a little premature to assume that has anything to do with it. While I do agree that sometimes the way a person was raised and what they see as children may play a factor, that is not always the case. There are many, many stories out there about men who abuse and often times kill there wives/girlfriends who were brought up in a very loving home. Also, we must remember that this young man has a family as well and that they are going through a very difficult time dealing with the fact that their son was arrested for murder. That can not be an easy thing to deal with either. Both families are going through hell right now so if this guy is the one that committed this horrible crime then he and he alone is to blame not his friggin upbringing/family. It is time for folks to place blame where it belongs….on the person who committed the crime…not his damn family!!!
I am happy there is progress in her case. So many times minorities get put to the back burner. Most cold cases are the poor and minorities.
Valdosta is my hometown and VSU is where I received my BA degree and this made me sad when I first heard of this happening on my former campus because it made me think of all the times I had to study or take classes at night and have walked around campus during these times alone, thinking that the campus was pretty safe. I am glad they caught him, now justice can be served. I feel for her family and hope that now they can have a little closure about this happening.
For the person who made the negative comment about the haitians, it doesn’t matter the nationality, this is a clear case of graveyard love. People, you know when your other half is crazy as hell… If there are signs along the way and they get progressively aggressive then you prob should try and get out, even though sometimes it’s hard to.
Dana T.
This is sad. And, yes, he looks off I the eyes.
How did she die? Strangulation? Poison?
Nevermind, I see it was strangulation. So so sad. RIP
They didn’t even tell us I just happen to run across this I send my prayers to her and her family
SO INSTEAD OF JUST LEAVING HERE THE PHUCK ALONE HE SNAP HER NECK?! TAKE HIS BICH AS OUT BACK AND PUT A BULLET IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD…