ROCKLIN, California — Damon Allen Benson, also known as the “Tinder killer” by local authorities, has been sentenced to 71 years to life in prison for the murder of a man and the horrific attack on a woman he met through the dating app. The killer attempted to claim self-defense in what the District Attorney described as a “horrific love triangle murder plot,” but the surveillance video evidence proved otherwise.
According to a release from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, Benson, 31, met his victims separately on Tinder, leading to “jealousy, the torture of a vulnerable female victim and ended in the murder of one of the men involved in the love triangle.”
The violent incident occurred on August 21, where Benson held the female victim against her will at his apartment, torturing her on multiple occasions. This included carving a swastika into the victim’s back and tying her to the ceiling with a rope. Benson’s motive for torturing the woman was to obtain the address of her other lover, Cameron Gabriel, whom he ambushed and murdered in his home.
Despite Benson’s claims of self-defense, surveillance footage showed him running into the victim’s home in the middle of the night, followed by immediate gunfire. The DA charged Benson with murder, aggravated mayhem, torture, felony criminal threats, and false imprisonment by violence. A jury found him guilty of murder, torture, and mayhem in September 2023.
As a result of his heinous crimes, Benson was sentenced to 71 years to life in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Supervising Deputy District Attorney Jeffery Moore stated, “We recognize this verdict will not bring [the victim] back and that we cannot undo what this defendant has done to their family. We are humbled to provide justice for this horrific crime to the greatest extent our laws allow.”
The female victim revealed that she and Benson initially connected on Tinder, bonding over an interest in paganism and hiking. However, their relationship quickly turned abusive, with Benson subjecting her to various forms of torture. She also began seeing Gabriel at the same time, leading to Benson’s extreme jealousy and violent actions against both victims.
In conclusion, Benson’s sentencing serves as a form of justice for the victims and their families. His dangerous and callous behavior demonstrates the necessity of removing him from society to prevent him from victimizing anyone else.