Benitez v. State

CARLTON, J.,

for the Court:

¶ 1. On March 7, 2013, a Harrison County jury convicted Ruben Orlando Benitez of murder. The Harrison County Circuit Court sentenced Benitez to life in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). Benitez now appeals his conviction and sentence.

FACTS

¶ 2. On the morning of September 18, 2011, Sergeant Joey Fore with the D’Iber-ville, Mississippi Police Department and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representative Jonathan Rhodes performed a welfare check at the apartment of Stacey Wright. Wright was employed by TSA at the Gulfport…