Brothers arrested in I-44 homicide case – body found in ditch

JASPER COUNTY, Mo. — Two men have been arrested in the investigation into a body found along I-44 in Jasper County Monday evening.

The suspects in this case, Adin Aman Cantarero Benitez, 26, and Jose Cantarero Benitez, 20, are brothers. The Jasper County Sheriff's Office says they are illegal immigrants from Honduras.

Investigators say one of the brothers is seen on security footage, around 3:30 Monday morning, at the Road Ranger gas station, approaching Jesse Gilmore while Gilmore was sitting in his car, and then shooting him in the head. That brother, according to court records, was Adin Benitez.

Authorities say Adin is then seen on video, pushing Gilmore's body over in the driver's seat, getting in and driving off.

The brothers then headed east on I-44, in separate vehicles, theirs and Gilmore's, pulling over near the 14.8 mile marker, and dumping Gilmore's body into the ditch , according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Jasper County Court.

The older brother, Adin Benitez, was arrested later that evening in Independence, Missouri on a DWI charge.

A day later, Independence Police responded to an attempted carjacking where a woman was shot in the chest. IPD says Jose Benitez fled that scene but was later arrested by KCPD after they received a call from a woman who was pistol-whipped. He was arrested after a brief foot chase, JCSO said.

The woman shot in the attempted carjacking is reportedly in stable condition according to an IPD Facebook post.

Adin Aman Benitez is charged with first-degree murder and robbery, armed criminal action, and abandonment of a corpse. Charges are pending for his brother Jose.

An autopsy for Gilmore is still scheduled for Friday.