A Colorado man with a decades-long arrest record has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a pregnant mother of six after a string of alleged crimes, authorities said.
James Benavidez, 50, was booked on 23 counts including first-degree murder, eight counts of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree unlawful termination of pregnancy and multiple counts of assault and theft, according to charging documents cited by local media and law enforcement. The charges stem from events on Aug. 28 and 29 in Brighton, Colorado, that culminated in the discovery of 32-year-old Keeley Koff’s body in an abandoned pickup truck.
Police say the sequence began shortly after 2 a.m. on Aug. 28 when Benavidez attempted to steal a car at a Murphy Express gas station, wrestled with the vehicle’s owner and fired a shot that missed. He then fled on a bicycle, investigators said. Hours later, authorities connected him to another vehicle theft after a woman who had left him in the passenger seat reported the car stolen. Officers located the vehicle and attempted to stop it, and Benavidez allegedly led them on a pursuit during which he fired at police, striking multiple patrol cars. No officers were injured. Police returned fire and wounded Benavidez; he was taken into custody and transported to a hospital.
Investigators say evidence recovered after his arrest linked Benavidez to the killing of Koff, who was found dead in an abandoned pickup truck the following day. Koff, described by relatives on a GoFundMe page as a mother of six, had only known Benavidez briefly and had been trying to separate from him, her family told local outlets.
Benavidez’s criminal history, detailed by local reports and police, spans roughly three decades and includes 61 arrests, 31 guilty pleas and nine prior felony convictions for offenses that authorities said include assault, driving under the influence, resisting arrest, drug possession and second-degree kidnapping. He has served about 20 years behind bars over the past 30 years and was released from prison on June 24, 2024, according to the reports. Authorities also said he had multiple allegations of failing to comply with parole.
The official charging affidavit, filed Aug. 29, lists a broad slate of felonies in addition to the murder counts: six counts of first-degree assault, two counts of first-degree motor vehicle theft, three counts of attempted aggravated robbery, vehicular eluding and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, according to local television station Denver7 and other reporting.
Police described the Aug. 28 incidents as a roughly 12-hour spree that began with the attempted carjacking at the gas station, escalated to the theft of a friend’s vehicle and a high-speed pursuit during which officers say Benavidez fired at least five times at law enforcement, and ended with his surrender after he was wounded by returned gunfire. Evidence collected following his arrest, the agency said, connected him to Koff’s death.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Benavidez faces the possibility of life in prison. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek the death penalty.
Koff’s family has said she feared Benavidez and was trying to get away from him in the weeks before her death. The family’s fundraising page describes her as the mother of six children and said she left behind numerous relatives and friends.
The Brighton Police Department and local prosecutors have not released additional public comment beyond formal charging documents and media statements. The case is pending in district court, and court records indicate Benavidez remains in custody.
The allegations and the defendant’s extensive criminal history are likely to draw scrutiny to the supervision and release practices that allowed Benavidez to be free following decades of arrests and convictions. State and local officials have periodically debated parole supervision and reentry policies, but prosecutors cautioned that the charges are allegations and that Benavidez is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Authorities continue to investigate the facts surrounding Koff’s death and the related crimes from Aug. 28 and 29. Additional court dates and a prosecution timetable have not been announced.