Oregon suspect let free, immediately kidnaps, tortures woman; dead after long standoff with police

An Oregon kidnapping and torture suspect named Benjamin Foster died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an hours-long standoff with police after K9s found him hiding in a crawl space under the home of his latest victim Tuesday afternoon.

(Video Credit: KGW News)

A protracted and intense manhunt for Foster, 36, ended on Tuesday evening when authorities tracked down the “extremely dangerous” convicted felon according to officials. He was wanted in the recent kidnapping, torture, and attempted murder of a woman according to Fox News. No officers were injured during the arrest.

Grants Pass Police Spokesperson Jeff Hattersley confirmed that Foster died at the hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound according to KTVL-TV. He was in critical condition when he was arrested and transported to the hospital.

Foster reportedly lived in Las Vegas before he moved to Oregon. In 2019, he held his girlfriend hostage inside their apartment for two weeks according to a Las Vegas report that was obtained by the Associated Press. She was choked into unconsciousness, had broken ribs, two black eyes, and was bound at the wrists and ankles.

After being arrested for those atrocities, he was charged with five felonies that included assault and battery. He was facing approximately 30 years behind bars upon conviction.

Benjamin Obadiah Foster is wanted for brutally assaulting a woman. She is in critical condition. Please share. We need to get him behind bars. pic.twitter.com/Gqgc1uEgbW

— Rose (@901Lulu) January 27, 2023

Clark County prosecutors in Nevada unbelievably decided to strike a deal with Foster if he would plead guilty to felony and misdemeanor battery. Instead of decades in prison, a judge sentenced him in September 2021 to 2 1/2 years of incarceration.

Foster spent 729 days in jail while awaiting trial. That was factored into his sentence, leaving him to serve less than 200 days in state custody before being cut loose. Even that was waved as the Associated Press reported that Foster was released by Nevada prison officials on the same day he was transferred to the state’s custody.

The convicted felon was charged again on Jan. 24 with attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault. A woman was found in Grants Pass, Oregon in critical condition and is now fighting for her life in a hospital after having been subjected to similar treatment by Foster as his last victim according to Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman. Police believe Foster intended to kill the woman who underwent torture for a “protracted amount of time.”

Justine Siemens remains in critical condition after being attacked by a man believed to be Benjamin Foster. The victim’s friend tells @TVAshleigh how Foster knew the victim, but she says it “wouldn’t be accurate” to say they were dating.#Banfield pic.twitter.com/70Yl3985Pf

— NewsNation (@NewsNation) February 1, 2023

When officers arrived at the home on January 24, they found “an absolutely disgusting scene,” the police chief stated, adding that images taken by investigators were “horrific.”

“I’ve seen a lot in my career, but some things do stick with you, and this will stay stained in my memory for many years to come,” Hensman told Fake News CNN on Monday. He called it “an act of evil.”

Police believe that Foster changed his appearance to avoid being caught. He cut his shoulder-length brown hair and grew a thicker beard according to Hattersley.

“The Grants Pass Police Department asks the public to pay particular attention to Foster’s facial structure and eyes since those features are very difficult to change. Additional photos of Foster, as they become available, will be released to assist in his identification,” the Grants Pass Police announced in a Jan. 29 update.

He was seen walking a dog in the Grants Pass area on Tuesday morning.

(Video Credit: KOIN 6)

As of Tuesday afternoon, Foster was still on the run. That ended Tuesday evening.

He was almost caught on Thursday, Jan. 26 in Wolf Creek, Oregon when police raided a family property but he managed to slip away.

According to police, Foster was using dating apps to lure people into helping him avoid the police and to troll for potential victims.

A press conference is expected to be held by authorities on Wednesday afternoon that will provide further details.

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