A 35-year-old Minnesota man, Joseph James Benson, has been taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend. Benson was arrested earlier this month for the alleged murder of Samantha Koehne, 38, who was fondly referred to as “Panda,” as per court records.
The Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic assault report at a residence on 1st Avenue West in Edgerton around midday on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. The report was made by the homeowner, who had left Benson in charge of her property while she was out of town. She reported receiving a disturbing Snapchat message from Benson, in which he professed to have killed Koehne.
Upon reaching the scene, law enforcement officers took Benson into custody, who had noticeable abrasions on his arms and scratches on his face. He reportedly told the officers that his girlfriend had caused the injuries and informed them of a lifeless body upstairs. The officers found an unresponsive adult female, later identified as Koehne, on the bathroom floor with an extension cord tied around her legs. Koehne had visible marks around her neck and what appeared to be blood in her ear and hair.
An autopsy report later confirmed that Koehne’s death was a homicide, with the cause of death being “probable asphyxia.” The homeowner, upon contacting the sheriff’s office to check on Koehne, was informed of the tragic incident.
In a subsequent interview, the homeowner disclosed that she had left for a vacation to Florida and had asked Benson to take care of her home and pets. She knew that Koehne was also staying at the house. On the day of the incident, Benson had informed her that he and Koehne were having a heated argument and she was “freaking out and wanted to leave.”
According to the homeowner, Benson called her about 20 minutes later with a disturbing message, stating, “Panda is gone.” He allegedly expressed fear that Koehne would call the police and that he did not want to return to prison. Benson had a previous conviction for felony burglary in 2009, for which he served 15 days in jail and five years probation.
Police seized Benson’s phone and found a video of him and Koehne arguing on the day of her death. The video allegedly showed Koehne with visible facial injuries, pleading with Benson to stop and insisting that she had not informed anyone about their situation.
Benson is currently being held in the Pipestone County Jail on a $100,000 bond. His court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 10.