Detectives confirm cell phone found in high-profile murder case of Benjamin Anderson

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — True Crime Arizona has learned detectives discovered a key piece of evidence in the high-profile murder case of Benjamin Anderson.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the discovery of his cell phone, and now it is clear why this piece of evidence is crucial to when charges will be filed in this case. There are persons of interest in the case, but no arrests have been made.

What was once a rumor to Benjamin Anderson’s friends and family has finally been confirmed. His cell phone was found in a canal about three months after his murder in 2021.

The 41-year-old went missing on New Year’s Eve, and his body was found burning hours later. His car was later found charred, too.

Now, the MCSO has confirmed the location of where Ben’s cell phone was found.

“We heard and later confirmed that the phone was found in the canal in Glendale,” said Ben’s best friend, Dan Stahoviak. “It was found 3 months after the murder occurred and was found by what we believe to be a fisherman.” Stahoviak said this added information and location makes this case even more perplexing.

Here’s what we know

• Anderson lived in central Phoenix
• His car was spotted by his friends, allegedly with strangers driving it, at the Sheraton parking garage in Phoenix
• The car was then found hours later burned at the UEI college parking lot in Phoenix
• Anderson’s body was found on fire in the desert off the I-17 and Table Mesa Road
• His cell phone was found in a Glendale canal three months later

“We’ve got evidence pieces of this puzzle that are all over the county basically, and it just doesn’t make sense,” said Stahoviak. “I don’t know how the phone got to Glendale of all places and when.”

The sheriff’s office is still trying to get into the phone to finish the forensic investigation, and Ben’s best friend told True Crime Arizona he knows exactly what they’re looking for.

Stahoviak said he knew Ben’s phone password and was able to access his “Find My iPhone” while he was missing. The data showed Ben’s phone pinged in his Phoenix condo the night before his disappearance, and it appeared his iCloud backed up around the same time that night.

“Whatever happened between that 10 p.m. the night before to the next morning, whatever text messages, is what they’re trying to get off the phone,” said Stahoviak.

He believes that could answer exactly what led up to his murder. MCSO told True Crime Arizona they will continue trying to get forensics off a device until it is inoperable, even if that takes years and repeat attempts.

The sheriff’s office said they are now finalizing paperwork to present the case to the county attorney’s office for charges, but they’re waiting for the final forensics to be finished (including Ben’s cell phone).

Stahoviak said he is cautiously optimistic, as the wait for justice has been a painful years-long saga.

“I’m confident there will be resolution, I just wish it was soon,” he said.

Stahoviak told us Ben’s phone served as both his personal and work phone, so it had added layers of cyber security. It was also waterlogged from being in the canal.

As soon as these forensics wrap up, new information about who MCSO wants to charge with Benjamin Anderson’s murder should be available.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.