On Tuesday night, January 31, 36-year-old Benjamin Obadiah Foster was apprehended by police in Grants Pass, Oregon, following a lengthy standoff.
Police say they tracked Foster to a house where he “burrowed” himself underneath the residence and eventually shot himself.
Ultimately, he succumbed to the self-inflicted gunshot wound at 10:45 p.m. local time. After the incident, Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman announced that Foster was “on his way to the hospital, still alive.” It was at the hospital that he was pronounced dead.
The search for Foster began a week earlier when police discovered a woman in critical condition. The woman had been “bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness.” According to authorities, the woman is in stable but critical condition. Hensman did not elaborate on their relationship other than describing it as a “former domestic relationship.”
Foster was wanted on multiple charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault.
Police stated that Foster was “extremely dangerous” and was using online dating applications to contact and potentially victimize other individuals to help him escape.
In a social media post, police stated, “The investigation has revealed that the suspect is actively using online dating applications to contact unsuspecting individuals who may be lured into assisting with the suspect’s escape or potentially as additional victims.”
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel and his deputies received a tip and began searching for Foster in Sunny Valley, where they found a home with two men dead inside.
Foster is believed to be the suspect in the murders due to the M.O. from his attempted murder case.
Tina Marie Jones, 68, was arrested for helping Foster escape and hindering prosecution. The cause of death of the two men was “blunt force trauma” and is believed to be a “brutal scene.”
“He brutally murdered two innocents in Sunny Valley, and we didn’t know when he was going to stop,” Hensman said.