Missing Sacramento man found dead in El Dorado County. His roommate faces a murder charge
A Sacramento man and his father were arrested Thursday on murder and accessory charges after authorities discovered the body of the man’s missing roommate miles away in El Dorado County.
Somboun Sayasane was 75 went he went missing in late December near his south Sacramento home near 40th Street and 41st Avenue, said Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office officials. Deputies took a missing persons report, but Sheriff’s investigators soon suspected the elderly Sayasane had been killed, with signs pointing to his roommate, 31-year-old Benjamin Dougherty.
Now Dougherty, 31, and his father, Robert Dougherty, 74, sit in Sacramento County Main Jail related to the elderly Sayasane’s death. Sacramento County Sheriff’s detectives found the Doughertys in separate locations Thursday in Petaluma and took the pair back to Sacramento, Sheriff’s officials said in a statement announcing the arrests.
Investigators then learned Sayasane’s body had been dumped in a wooded area off of Old Toll Road in Placerville. Detectives made the grim discovery Thursday and later arrested Benjamin Dougherty on suspicion of murder. He is in custody without bail.
The elder Dougherty, suspected of helping his son dispose of Sayasane’s body, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact. His bail was set at $100,000, according to jail records.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Amar Gandhi, speaking with reporters Thursday, said authorities notified Sayasane’s survivors before addressing the media.
“The emotions are natural — everything from devastation and sadness to, I’m hoping, a little bit of relief just knowing the conclusion of this and knowing that the person responsible is in custody,” Gandhi said.
The Doughertys are scheduled to appear on the charges on April 21 in Sacramento Superior Court, according to jail records.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 9:53 AM.
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