Police find body of missing 20-year-old woman in creek; suspect kills himself during traffic stop by cops

A 20-year-old Texas woman went missing just before Thanksgiving, and sadly, her body was found in a creek on Tuesday. Police had zeroed in on a possible suspect, but the 45-year-old man killed himself when law enforcement officers attempted to interview him.

Amanda Stevenson vanished, and her family reported her missing on Nov. 21. She had last been seen two days earlier.

Family members and police searched for the missing 20-year-old woman, but she was nowhere to be found.

During the investigation, police started focusing on a potential suspect – 45-year-old Kevin Bennetsen. Police said the married man with children was a rideshare driver and a "known associate" of Stevenson. Bennetsen was reportedly a substitute teacher in the Victoria school district as recently as 2022.

Police reportedly interviewed Bennetsen at his home.

In an attempt to interview him a second time a day after Stevenson was reported missing, officers purportedly pulled over Bennetsen while he was driving. However, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot himself to death during the traffic stop, according to the Victoria Police Department.

Detectives began searching areas that Bennetsen was known to frequent.

"Over twenty members of the department have searched a piece of property near the city of Yoakum with scent-sensitive dogs and drones several times with both consent from the cooperating spouse of the now-deceased associate and an additional search via a search warrant," the Victoria Police Department said in the statement.

The police added, "The public should avoid speculating what may have happened, creating a false narrative."

Bennetsen’s death is being investigated by Texas Rangers.

Around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office received a report about human remains discovered in a creek near a bridge by Patriot Park in Victoria, the Victoria Advocate reported. Victoria County Sheriff Justin Marr later confirmed that it was Stevenson's dead body in the creek. Stevenson was located roughly 16 miles from where she was last seen. Police also found her cell phone, but it was locked.

Police did not reveal a cause of death.

An autopsy will be conducted by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Stevenson was 19 years old when she was reported missing and turned 20 on Nov. 24.

Police urge anyone with information about Stevenson's death to contact Victoria Crime Stoppers at 361-572-4200.

Body of missing woman found after ride-share driver's suicide | Banfieldwww.youtube.com

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