Mystery continues to surround the case of a missing Texas woman as police report that an Uber driver linked to her disappearance died by suicide last week.
Amanda Stevenson, 20, of Victoria, Texas, was last seen on November 19 near Salem Road and was eventually reported missing two days later. Victoria is a small city of around 65,000, located roughly 120 miles southeast of San Antonio and 125 miles southwest of Houston.
Since then, friends, family and community members have conducted search parties between Victoria and nearby Yoakum, in areas where those close to her believe that she might have been. Victoria Police investigators also determined that Stevenson was acquainted with a local man, 45-year-old Kevin Bennetsen, who was known to give her rides and worked for the ride-share service Uber.
Believing that he could be connected with Stevenson's disappearance or at least have some insight into her activities leading up to it, police conducted an initial interview with Bennetsen and, on Wednesday, pulled him over for a traffic stop to ask him more questions. Department of Public Safety Sgt. Ruben San Miguel confirmed on Monday that Bennetsen fatally shot himself during the stop.
Police officials characterized Bennetsen's death as an isolated incident, according to News 4 San Antonio, and said that the investigation into Stevenson's disappearance remains ongoing. The Lavaca County Sheriff's Office on Monday confirmed that it is aiding with the investigation.
Searches have been underway at various locations Bennetsen was known to frequent and properties listed in his name, including a residence in Yoakum that has been searched over by 20 officers with police dogs and drones. Bennetsen was married, and officials said that his wife has been cooperating with authorities in their search. Police departments in a 200-mile radius were informed about the case "immediately" after it was opened.
"Likewise, multiple additional locations have been searched by department members," the Victoria Police Department said in a statement provided to Newsweek. "Behind the scenes, advanced technological efforts are being conducted; however, some software efforts are being thwarted by the lack of passwords and are taking time to obtain information. Other agency's technology is also being utilized."
Bennetsen had also listed himself as the owner of the business Bennetsen Organic Farms on LinkedIn starting in 2021. Investigators have determined that the address associated with it is also in his name.
Stevenson is described as a white female, 5 feet 11 inches in height, weighing 125 pounds, and with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and black shoes.
In a statement on Monday, Stevenson's mother, Jennifer Blankenship Horsley, commended the efforts that law enforcement has made in searching for her daughter and for how communicative they have been with the family throughout the process.
"They're keeping me in the loop as much as they can," she said. "I am so grateful for them."
The Victoria Police Department has urged anyone with information related to Stevenson's disappearance to contact Victoria Crime Stoppers at 361-572-4200. A cash reward is being offered for any information that leads to the discovery of her whereabouts.
Updated 12/3/23, 5:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include details provided by the Victoria PD.
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