Benjamin Anderson case: MCSO submits charges
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has submitted charges against two people – Jaden and Richard Kaufman – in connection with the death of Benjamin Anderson. Anderson’s body was found burning in the desert off the I-17 on New Year’s Eve in 2021.
PHOENIX – Officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office say they have submitted charges against two people in connection with the death of 41-year-old Benjamin Anderson on New Year’s Eve in 2021.
What we know:
In a short statement, officials with MCSO said they have submitted charges against Jaden M. Kaufman and Richard D. Kaufman to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Officials with MCAO confirmed with us that they have received the charges from MCSO, and the submitted charges are under review.
What we don’t know:
Neither MCAO nor MCSO revealed what charges were submitted against the two.
The backstory:
Per our previous report on the matter in 2024, Anderson was last seen at his home on the morning of Dec. 31, 2021. Anderson’s friend later found his burnt car near the I-17 and Dunlap, and according to MCSO at the time, Anderson’s body was found on the same day he went missing.
Friends and family members said at the time that they were baffled over what had happened,.
“I don’t understand. I can’t grasp why someone would do something to such a kind person,” said a friend of Anderson, identified only as Aimee. “When he would see someone, he would always offer help. He would always offer support, and I think maybe he’d offered help or support to someone not so great.”
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