Alabama woman accused in Mississippi cold case murder after more than 20 years

An Alabama woman has been arrested in connection with a Mississippi murder cold case from 2003.

WTVA News in Tupelo reports that Lee County officials have arrested Niki Hester, 36, of Detroit, Alabama, and charged her with first-degree murder in the 2003 death of Wendy Benson, 35.

Benson was found dead on July 14, 2003, at a house on County Road 1792 in Saltillo. Her body showed signs of foul play, according to Lee County investigators.

The case remained unsolved for 20 years until new forensic technology emerged that allowed the case to be reopened.

In December 2023, Richard Truelock, Hester’s father, was charged in the murder case.

Since then, new evidence, recently presented to the Lee County grand jury, has led to Hester’s indictment in the case.

The case remains under investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.