Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a standoff with authorities in Grants Pass, Oregon, according to a CNN affiliate. Foster was accused of kidnapping and torturing a woman in the area. Law enforcement had surrounded a property where Foster was believed to be hiding and tried to get him to surrender, but he died in the hospital. Grants Pass police announced Foster was in custody but did not provide details on how the standoff ended and planned to hold a news conference the next day. Foster had been sought by authorities for a week.
Press attempted to contact Grants Pass police, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, and the FBI's Portland office, but did not receive a response. The news of Foster being in custody came after he was spotted walking a dog in the Grants Pass area on Tuesday morning. The search for Foster started on January 24 after police found a woman who had been bound, beaten, and left unconscious in a Grants Pass home. Foster had already fled the scene by the time police arrived. According to Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman, the victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Federal, state, and local authorities had been searching for Foster non-stop as he was wanted on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping, and assault, according to the police chief. Prosecutors accuse Foster of attempting to kill the woman while intentionally torturing her, according to charging documents obtained by a CNN affiliate. The victim had allegedly suffered the abuses for an extended period of time, as stated by the police chief. A friend of the victim discovered her and called the police, with the police chief stating that Foster was identified as the suspect. When officers arrived on January 24, they found a horrific crime scene, described as "absolutely disgusting" by the police chief.
"This will stay with me for many years to come," said Police Chief Warren Hensman to the press on Monday. He noted that Foster and the victim had a prior relationship, but did not provide further details, stating that "this was not a random attack." The police are still investigating a significant amount of evidence and following up on the numerous tips they have received so far. Hensman urged anyone who comes into contact with Foster, either in person or online, to immediately call 911. Police warned that Foster was an "extremely dangerous suspect."
Police Warn of Danger to Those Who May "Befriend" Suspect
Hensman warned that Foster may pose a threat to others, even if they become friends with him. He emphasized that "nothing is off the table with an individual like him." The police chief added that Foster is not a "random attacker," but someone who may target those he has relationships with.
Earlier, the authorities had stated that Foster might be using dating apps to find new victims or hide from the law. However, Hensman did not provide any update on whether Foster was still active on such platforms.
Clark County records indicate that Foster has been accused of assaulting women he had relationships with in two separate incidents in Las Vegas. In the first case, he was charged with domestic violence battery and his ex-girlfriend testified that he tried to strangle her on Christmas Eve in 2017 after seeing that another man had texted her.
Foster faced charges in two separate incidents in Las Vegas, with court records indicating that he was charged with assault, battery, and kidnapping in connection with the abuse of his then-girlfriend in 2019. According to a police report, the victim stated that Foster strangled her multiple times and kept her tied up for two weeks. She ultimately escaped to a hospital with broken ribs, black eyes, and injuries to her wrists and ankles from being tied. Foster entered plea agreements in both cases, with a sentence of up to 30 months in prison for the first case, with credit for 729 days served.
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