Man killed woman he dated, sent himself photos of her ‘battered body,’ Utah officials say
A man facing a murder charge in the death of a woman he’d been dating had photos of her “battered body” on his phone, prosecutors said.
Nestor Rocha Aguayo’s shoe and ankle are visible in a photo to the left of the woman’s body, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said in a Jan. 14 news release.
Other photos “show (the woman’s) battered body and face,” prosecutors said.
Aguayo “sent five of the pictures of (the woman’s) body to himself on Facebook messenger,” according to prosecutors.
Aguayo, 24, is charged in connection with Talia Lee Benward’s disappearance and death, prosecutors said.
She and Aguayo “were in a relationship that was described as toxic” and had “a history of domestic violence between them,” according to a court filing.
She was listed as missing in early January after borrowing a car to go to work, prosecutors said.
Police eventually found the car “at a location associated with (Aguayo),” and it had “blood throughout” it, plus a floor mat that was missing and “a strong smell of gasoline in the trunk,” prosecutors said.
Police accessed Benward’s tablet and found that she and Aguayo had plans to meet up at a gas station on New Year’s Day, prosecutors said. In security footage, Aguayo is seen “getting dropped off and getting into the white car (Benward) was driving,” according to prosecutors.
The pair appeared to argue, then left together, prosecutors said.
Cellphone data later revealed that they shopped, went to a park and then headed to Tooele County, prosecutors said.
Investigators found a “burn pit” with pieces of the missing floor mat in a “remote area” in the county, according to prosecutors.
A cadaver dog helped find Benward, who died from “a mix of asphyxiation and blunt force trauma,” prosecutors said.
Later, police found security video of Aguayo at a gas station, where he bought a lighter and gloves and filled a container with gas, prosecutors said. He was wearing Under Armour shoes matching those in the photo with Benward’s body, according to prosecutors.
He was arrested after law enforcement tracked him to a bus, possibly trying to make it to Mexico, prosecutors said.
He’s charged with first-degree felony aggravated murder, first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a human body and three counts of second-degree felony obstructing justice, prosecutors said.
An attorney for Aguayo didn’t appear to be listed in court records on Jan. 15.
“This is a case that has shocked our community. We hope the family and loved ones of the victim can get the support they need to help them through this incredibly difficult time,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in the news release.
Tooele County includes the city of Tooele, which is about a 35-mile drive southwest from Salt Lake City.
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