Cubic Zirconia

Hey Regina, I'm finally back.

Hey, Regina!

Sorry, but the ice cream's probably melted.

It shouldn't take nothing but a few minutes

for it to refreeze and be good again.

Still should be good.

I know you'll eat it any kind of way anyway, so.

Hey, Regina!

Are you in here?

Regina!

Regina!

Regina!

Yeah, this is Clarke.

Okay, now where, where is this?

All right.

I'll be there shortly.

Hey.

I hope I didn't disturb you or anything.

What do you got?

Do you know anything about Jeff and Tamela Benton,

out on Oak Grove?

No.

Well, I worked over last night,

got dispatched out to Tamela's sister house.

She wanted to file a missing person report on Tamela,

and her two kids.

Two kids.

How come This is the first time I'm hearing about this?

This isn't the first incident with Jeff and Tamela.

Domestics.

She goes to jail. He goes to jail.

She runs off with the kids.

I been through this so many times,

I didn't feel the need to bother you with it.

All right.

Now, the sister stated she hadn't heard from her

or the two kids going on three days now.

Now she didn't think much of it,

but Tamela usually brings the kids over for the weekend.

I drove out to the house, didn't see much of anything.

I figured, just file a report.

Someone will follow up with it later.

Now this morning, I got in a long call with the road.

Cleared that.

Turned up here to take a piss,

and found Tamela's car parked right here.

Now, this suspicious.

Tamela, Tamela.

Page living with these two.

Patrol is.

We've been getting so many calls there,

the dispatch don't even say the address.

They just say, "The Benson house."

You checked the area?

Yes sir.

Pretty much walked the entire area

right before you got here.

Alright, well, text me the address,

send you a court number.

I'm gonna run by the house.

Yes sir.

Say.

What do you want me to do about the car?

Just leave it alone for now.

Just come back, check on it through your shift.

Yes, sir.

Who is it?

Sheriff's office.

Yes?

- Jeff Benton? - Yes.

May you mind if I come in?

Yes, I do. How can I help the officer?

Your wife, Tamela and the two kids, are they home?

They are not.

Do you know who they are?

May I ask why?

Well, someone reported them missing.

I'm just looking for answers.

Missing?

Well, the kids are up at their aunt's,

as for that whore, she could be anywhere.

Check with her boyfriend in the club she works at.

Boyfriend?

Like I said, whore.

Now if there's nothing else, officer,

I just got off a couple hours ago.

Well, there is something else, actually.

The kids aren't with their aunt.

She's the one who called us.

Now, I'm not implying that we're anything alike,

but if my kids weren't where they're supposed to be,

I'd be a little bit concerned.

So once again, you mind if I come in?

Unless there's another reason you don't want me to.

I'm just trying to figure this out.

This room here is our room.

Hers mostly. I'm usually on the couch.

This is the kids' room.

As you can see, I didn't kill my family

and bury 'em somewhere.

I never said you did.

How come the aunt reported them missing and not you?

I'm sure she called you.

We don't get along, at all.

I figured she was just calling to bitch at me

about the fight we had.

Was that the argument, you and Tamela?

Yeah. That's all we do, officer.

To be honest, the only reason I'm still here

is because I can't afford to leave.

She's probably out there doing this on purpose.

I wouldn't be surprised if her sister put her up to it.

That's where you need to be asking questions.

Yes, sir?

Hi, I'm Lieutenant Bobby Clarke

with Maidman County Sheriff's Office.

Is Kelly in?

Yeah. Yeah, here.

All right.

I'm here to follow up on a report you filed last night.

You found them?

No ma'am. Not exactly.

Just here to gather some more information.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

Does Tamela have a history of just grabbing the kids

and taking off without telling anyone?

You talked to Jeff.

Just doing my job, ma'am.

Look. Tamela is not a saint.

I ain't gonna pretend like she is.

But when it comes to those kids,

she's not going anywhere without telling me, at least.

Jeff is her downfall.

Okay.

You mentioned that she worked at a club in Memphis?

Yeah. She's trying to save money so she can leave Jeff.

Okay.

We can't have kids, so we're like second parents to hers,

and honestly, they look forward to coming here.

I work twelves as a nurse.

I get off at 8:00 PM.

John called me last night, 'cause she never showed up.

Her phone is off. She hasn't called anyone.

I am telling you there is something wrong.

Okay.

I understand your concern.

Just a few more questions.

Okay.

I need you to be honest with me.

All right.

Is Tamela seeing anyone else?

Kayla.

She mentioned this guy.

Once.

I don't know. I think she was seeing him.

She would stay with him to keep from driving

back and forth to Memphis.

Did she mention his name?

What about the club?

I dunno, Tootsies or something, but like I said,

there's no way she's laid up with some man

and leaving us here to wonder about it.

I know my sister.

I just think you're not taking it seriously

for whatever reason.

Hey, this is Lieutenant Clarke.

I need you to contact K96

to have him come to my area.

Hey, what you got?

Got a dog tracking for more evidence.

I don't wanna contaminate it any further.

Again, suspicious.

Very.

Who's there? We got body back here!

Ready?

For those who don't know me, I'm Rick Roman, Sheriff.

Beside me here is Lieutenant Bobby Clarke,

our chief investigator over criminal investigations

here at Maidman County Sheriff's Office.

Last night at approximately 10:30 PM, Tamela Benton,

her 9-year-old son, Jeffrey Jr.,

and her daughter, 14-year-old Ashley Benton,

were reported missing by a relative.

At approximately 9:00 AM this morning,

a deputy on patrol located a vehicle

registered to Mrs. Benton that was abandoned

on Old Jackson Road here in the county.

After further investigation,

at approximately 4:45 this evening,

the body of Tamela Benton was located, deceased,

in a ravine near where the vehicle was located.

An amber alert was already issued

for the two missing children,

and we have no leads to assist at this time.

Come in.

Well, Julie passed the message.

Not all of it.

Close the door and have a seat.