An active-duty Marine has been arrested and charged with the murder of a reality TV star, whose body was found in an Alabama pond earlier this week.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Pensacola, Florida, 20-year-old Willie Ellington was charged with first-degree murder and possession of child pornography on Wednesday, after the body of Tshey Bennett was located “in a pond located in an abandoned neighborhood in Mobile, Alabama” that same day.
Bennett, 26, appeared on the HollyHoodTV series “Skrippa Bootcamp” — about exotic dancers — earlier this year. Per the Sheriff, she was reported missing over the weekend, with investigators working the case as a potential homicide before her body was discovered.
Authorities say Bennett was working as an escort and met with Ellington at the Sweet Dream Inn in Pensacola at the time of her disappearance. Military.com notes the hotel is just north of where Ellington was stationed, aboard the NAS Pensacola.
Bennett’s car and cell phone were found at the inn, and her door left opened, investigators told Military.com — while the hotel bedding was missing.
PIO Morgan Lewis told the outlet that a vehicle Ellington rented was spotted in the area and traced to Alabama, where Bennett’s body was found.
Ellington was arrested Wednesday while aboard a bus in Opelika, Alabama, with Lewis saying he was “trying to leave town.”
The suspect’s disturbing alleged Google searches were revealed after his arrest, including, “Can someone scream when they’re strangled?” Per Lewis, other searches included, “What is the statistic of prostitutes homicides being solved?” and “How does a dead body look in two days?”
Ellington is a private first class assigned to Marine Aviation Training Support Group-23, Capt. Jacoby Getty told the Pensacola News Journal. He reportedly joined the service earlier this year.
“Training Command is aware of the ongoing investigation and is committed to working closely with local authorities to support their efforts,” Getty also told Military.com.
