Her ex-boyfriend, who was with her for a while, was quick to notify the police on May 13th, 2009, after he discovered her bed with bloody stains. After the police arrived and conducted a thorough investigation of the house, they discovered her body wrapped in blankets lying in a stairwell.
Investigation Discovery’s “Betrayed The Killing With Kindness” chronicles the horrific crime and shows how the police investigation that followed quickly brought justice. Let’s look into the specifics of this incident and discover where the culprit is at this moment. Let’s get started, shall we?
How Did Elizabeth Grosskopf Die?
Elizabeth Grosskopf resided in the Borough of Freedom in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Before her death, she shared her home with her ex-boyfriend, Robert Campbell, who moved out in May of 2008.
While she was highly respected in the community, Elizabeth was in frail health and began to fall off her balance frequently. She was employed at the local Wal-Mart, working as a cashier. She even rented the room she lived in to help pay the bills.
It was a surprise when Elizabeth and her car vanished on the 12th of May, 2009. A diligent worker, Elizabeth rarely took days off from work. So, her coworkers were worried when she failed to appear on May 12th.
In a state of panic, Robert went to check on Elizabeth and found that she was nowhere to be found. The car appeared lost, and her bed appeared to be one that had never been used for sleeping in.
Excited to find Elizabeth’s location, Robert tried to get in contact with her numerous times but was unsuccessful. There was no trace of the missing woman or her car, and her debit card appeared to be gone.
The endless search continued to the next day, and then things took a frightful turn. On May 13th, 2009, Robert was summoned to Elizabeth’s house because a prospective buyer was there to pick up the car of her tenant. When he entered the home, Robert noticed blood, and then followed the path to the bedroom, where he found blood dripping from the mattress.
Elizabeth’s dead body was found lying on the staircase that led into the attic. Initial examination revealed that she was wounded repeatedly before being wrapped in blankets before being disposed of on the steps. An autopsy later confirmed that the wounds from the stabs were the cause of death.
The police concluded that the culprit was likely to have known the victim since there was no evidence or evidence of forced entry.
Who Killed Elizabeth Grosskopf?
Because Elizabeth’s ex-boyfriend is the one who uncovered the crime and contacted authorities, the suspicion naturally turned to the tenant, who was the sole suspect.
During the investigation, police found that tenant Benjamin Dennerlein had been fired on May 12 and had been untraceable since that day. Benjamin was a frequent victim of drug addiction that frequently caused him to get in trouble with Robert, who shared the property with Elizabeth.
According to the story, Robert caught him using substances on the premises and even threatened to evict him.
Naturally, this didn’t make sense to Benjamin, who was afflicted with an ever-growing resentment toward Robert and Elizabeth. Robert or Elizabeth? Since Elizabeth’s car and debit card were not found at the scene, police concluded that the perpetrator had been able to steal the items. In addition, due to witnesses and other witnesses, police discovered that Benjamin was likely in a relationship with a woman known as Laura Rankin at that time.
Therefore, police quickly issued a BOLO, informing officers to keep watch for the suspect, as well as the car of the victim. Fortunately, the BOLO was successful, and, within a few hours, Benjamin was found and detained.
While Benjamin was in custody, police discovered Elizabeth’s debit card on his person. The vehicle used by the victim was located only a short distance away.
While Benjamin maintained his innocence and maintained that he wasn’t responsible for the murder, the police were able to find overwhelming evidence against him. For instance, Elizabeth’s purse, as well as employee identification, a credit card, and a driver’s license, along with a checkbook, cell phone, and car, were discovered to be in his possession.
Additionally, police observed signs of blood on the suspect’s clothing, which corresponded to the DNA of the victim. Furthermore, using video footage and cell phone location traces and bank records, the police confirmed the fact that Benjamin was the person who used her debit card to access funds. Therefore, with evidence against Benjamin, the man was detained and charged with Elizabeth’s murder.
Where Is Benjamin Dennerlein Now?
When he was brought to an in-court hearing, Benjamin entered a plea of not guilty and claimed the defendant was innocent. But, after a brief deliberation, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.
In light of his verdict, Benjamin was sentenced to life in prison with no parole in the year 2010. Following the sentencing, Benjamin tried to get his conviction reversed, but without success. So, in the present, Benjamin is still serving his life sentence in the State Correctional Institution – Rockview in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
