Sierra Vista, AZ: Man claims wife’s death happened accidentally

Suspect is in mesa

Tue, 11/02/2010 - 00:31

BY DEREK JORDAN
Herald/Review
SIERRA VISTA — A man who turned himself in to Huachuca City Police after allegedly killing his wife at their Mesa home has claimed it was an accident, a Mesa Police Department spokesman said Monday.
Sgt. Ed Wessing said Mesa Police became aware of the incident when the mother of Robert Benoit contacted them from her home in Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.

“She said (Benoit) told her he accidentally killed his wife, and was going to kill himself,” Wessing said.
In later interviews with investigators, Benoit, 42, reiterated it was an accident, but refused to elaborate, Wessing said.
After receiving a call from Benoit’s mother, the Mesa Police Department’s tactical team prepared for a barricade situation outside of his home at 6214 E. Sierra Morena St.
They eventually entered the home to find the body of Joy Dockendorf, 37, dead of an apparent gunshot.
“While all this was happening, our negotiators were trying to track him down and eventually made contact with him on his cell phone,” Wessing said.
Benoit was on the road, claiming he was going to Mexico, when negotiators convinced him to turn himself in at the nearest police station, which was in Huachuca City.
“The first we heard about it was him coming and turning himself in,” said Lt. Jennifer Fuller of the Huachuca City Police Department.
Fuller said that Benoit seemed distraught, but was cooperative.
“His hands were shaking, but he was very compliant,” she said.
Upon entering the station, Benoit told the dispatcher that “I need to turn myself in, I shot and killed my wife in Mesa,’” she said.
After dispatchers confirmed that Benoit was wanted for suspicion of murder, officers arrived to take him into custody.
“He put his hands up and said ‘You got me. I’m yours,’” Fuller said.
Huachuca City Police searched his vehicle and recovered a SIG Sauer P220 .45-caliber pistol.
About five hours after turning himself in, Mesa Police arrived and took him into custody, along with the vehicle, she said.