Man who tortured and attempted to kill woman he met on dating app kills himself

01 February 2023 , 13:56

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Benjamin Obadiah Foster died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound (Image: Grants Pass Police Department)

A man who tortured and attempted to kill a woman he met on a dating app has shot himself dead following a standoff with police.

Suspect Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Tuesday night just hours after being taken into custody in Grants Pass, Oregon, US, a police spokesperson said.

Foster barricaded himself under a house as officers from four agencies concentrated in the area, set up a command post and assembled a SWAT team while attempting to secure his surrender beginning Tuesday afternoon.

Just before 8pm, Grants Pass Police Department Lt. Jeff Hattersley said the situation had been resolved but did not immediately confirm whether Foster had been arrested.

Police later confirmed Foster was in custody, but a just an hour later said he had succumbed to his injuries.

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Foster barricaded himself under a house as officers from four agencies concentrated in the area, set up a command post and assembled a SWAT team (Uncredited/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

Foster is believed to be armed and dangerous (Grants Pass Police Department)

Mr Hattersley said authorities received "credible information" that Foster had entered the home where Justine Siemens was found unconscious, bound and near death on January 24.

She was hospitalised in critical condition.

As police gathered at the home where Foster was located, some area residents received a notification to shelter in place.

Foster was spotted Tuesday morning walking a dog in the Grants Pass area, according to a Grants Pass Police Department Facebook post.

Siemens remains in the ICU in critical condition

Last Thursday, law enforcement raided a property in the unincorporated community of Wolf Creek, but Foster, who had been staying on family property there, slipped away.

Forested mountains surround the community, but investigators believe that instead of disappearing solo into the wilderness, Foster had help getting out of the area.

Grants Pass is a town of some 40,000 in southwest Oregon.

In 2019, before moving to Oregon, Foster held his then-girlfriend captive inside her Las Vegas apartment for two weeks.

Police revealed Foster is using dating apps to find potential victims (Getty Images/Westend61)

He initially was charged with five felonies, including assault and battery, and faced decades in prison upon conviction.

Foster reached a deal with Clark County prosecutors in August 2021 that allowed him to plead guilty to one felony count of battery and a misdemeanour count of battery constituting domestic violence.

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A judge sentenced him to up to two and a half years in a Nevada prison.

But after the 729 days he had spent in jail awaiting trial were factored into his punishment.

Foster was left to serve less than 200 additional days in state custody.

If you or someone you know is dealing with depressive or suicidal thoughts, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 any time, day or night. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Liam Buckler