ROCKLIN, Calif. – In a landmark case in the history of Placer County, justice has been served for one of the most heinous torture and murder cases. Damon Allen Benson, 31, dubbed as the “Tinder killer” by local media, has been sentenced to 71 years in prison after being found guilty of murder, aggravated mayhem, torture, felony criminal threats, and false imprisonment by violence.
The events unfolded in the summer of 2021 on the outskirts of Sacramento, when Benson met a 29-year-old woman on the dating app Tinder, held her against her will, and tortured her at his apartment in Rancho Cordova. This included tying her to his ceiling and carving a swastika into her back, causing unimaginable trauma to the victim, who is of Jewish descent.
Authorities revealed that Benson’s jealousy fueled his actions, as he sought to coerce the victim into revealing the address of another man she had met through Tinder. Benson later ambushed the man, 48-year-old Cameron Gabriel, in the middle of the night at his home in nearby Rocklin and shot him dead in his room, claiming it was self-defense. However, surveillance footage reportedly showed Benson running out of Gabriel’s home yelling, “That’s right, [expletive].” The jury concluded that Benson murdered Gabriel with premeditation and intent.
Cameron Gabriel, remembered as gentle, kind, and funny, was born in Stanford, Calif., in 1973 and spent most of his life in Ashland, Ore. According to his obituary, he had returned to California just seven months before his tragic death. Placer County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Jeffery Moore expressed that while the verdict will not bring the victim back, it provides justice to the greatest extent allowed by law, emphasizing the clear danger Benson poses to the public and his callous disregard for human life. Removing Benson from society is the only way to ensure he won’t victimize anyone again.
In summary, Damon Allen Benson’s sentencing to 71 years in prison for murder, torture, and mayhem after orchestrating a horrific love triangle murder plot has brought closure and justice for the victim and her family. The harrowing acts Benson committed are a grim reminder of the importance of holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring that they are no longer a threat to society.