An active-duty U.S. Marine was arrested this week in connection with the murder of a former reality show contestant who had been reported missing, as announced by the Escambia County Sheriffâs Office in Florida.
Willie Ellington, 20, was charged with first-degree murder and possession of child sex abuse material after the body of Tâshey Bennett, 26, was discovered in a pond in an abandoned neighborhood in Mobile, Alabama.
According to the sheriffâs office, Bennett was working as an escort at the time of her disappearance on Dec. 14 and had met Ellington at the Sweet Dream Inn in Pensacola, Florida.
The investigation revealed that surveillance footage captured a suspect leaving the crime scene in a rental car, which was later traced back to Ellington, a marine stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Sheriff Jay Jones of Alabamaâs Lee County reported that Ellington was apprehended in Opelika after authorities received information that he might be on a bus scheduled to stop in the city.
During the investigation, detectives found disturbing Google searches on Ellingtonâs phone before Bennettâs disappearance, including inquiries about dead bodies, prostitute murders, and strangulation.
In addition to the murder charges, investigators also discovered child sex abuse material in Ellingtonâs possession.
Bennett, who recently appeared on the reality show âSkrippa Bootcamp,â was described as a devoted mother to her 8-year-old son. A GoFundMe campaign was set up to honor her memory and support her child.
Friends and loved ones remembered Bennett as a loving mother who had moved to northwestern Florida earlier in the year and was cherished by many.
The tragic loss of Tâshey Bennett has deeply impacted those who knew her, leaving a void in the lives of her loved ones who continue to mourn her untimely death.
