How The Torture of Alicia Elmore Led to the Discovery of a Dead Body

Bill Benefiel kidnapped two teenagers; one got away.

On October 11, 1987, Bill Benefiel abducted a teen as she walked home from a gas station. He held her captive in his home and over the next four months, tortured the 17-year-old before police found her hidden in a crawlspace. They would soon learn Alicia wasn’t Bill’s only victim.

Alicia Elmore, 17, offered to walk to the gas station to buy soft drinks for her mom and brother on the evening of October 10, 1987. The gas station was about two blocks from the family’s Terre Haute home. Four months passed before anyone heard from Alicia again.

As Alicia walked home from the gas station, a man grabbed her from behind, pushing her into a garage. He immediately stripped her naked, covered her head, and bound her with electrical wire. Later identified as Bill Benefiel, the man threw Alicia into his van and drove to his house a short distance away.

Bill took photographs of the naked teenager before he SA’d her. When he finished, Bill handcuffed her by the wrists and chained her neck to the bed. He tied her legs together using rope, restricting any movement. He gagged Alicia so she could not scream.