Trial begins for man accused of killing couple in 2023

BERNALILLO — A Rio Rancho man accused of fatally shooting a local couple at his neighbor's property and moving their bodies to his residence in June 2023 faced a jury May 6 in the Sandoval County 13th Judicial District Court.

Elbert Thurman Turner Jr., 47, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of tampering with evidence in the deaths of Jordan Green and Renee "Marilyn" Benham of Rio Rancho. Turner pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carries a life sentence or legally 30 years until he becomes eligible for parole. He also faces another felony case for allegedly assaulting another inmate at the Sandoval County Detention Center in May 2024 when Turner allegedly told the inmate, "I will kill you just like I killed that couple."

Turner is accused of shooting Green and Benham with a pistol following a dispute over an all-terrain vehicle in the 9000 block of Sixth Avenue SW, according to a criminal complaint. Turner then allegedly placed the couple's bodies in his green Ford SUV and drove them to where he lived. Turner was arrested that day without incident. Investigators later found traces of blood in the SUV and followed the tire tracks going West, where the bodies were found.

Turner faced a jury for the murder and tampering charges in December, but Judge George Eichwald declared a mistrial after finding that a piece of evidence had not been analyzed at the New Mexico Crime Laboratory.

The first day of Turner's second trial Tuesday did not include opening statements by prosecutor Chance Sousa and defense attorney Jonathan Schildgen. The proceedings went straight to the prosecution's witnesses, including Wesley Mauldin, the neighbor who owned the shed where Green and Benham were living.

Mauldin testified that Green and Benham were friends of his and that he knew Turner as a neighbor and through church. Turner also knew Green, but only as an acquaintance.

Mauldin said Green asked Turner if he could use his three-wheeler, which had mechanical issues, but it was still drivable. He made it clear multiple times that everyone knew the vehicle had issues. The agreement was relayed to Mauldin by Turner, who told him Green owed him money for the vehicle. A text from Turner refers to the ATV argument, in which he allegedly wrote, "That's what he's asking me to kill him over."

Mauldin said he offered to give Turner the money for the vehicle.

"He smiled and said 'That's not how this works,'" said Mauldin, referring to comments by Turner.

Mauldin came home to Green and Turner having an altercation over the vehicle, since it experienced a mechanical failure while Green was driving. Mauldin said he didn't see a weapon in Green's hand, only that he had clenched his fist because "Thurman kept getting in his face."

The altercation died down and the group split to cool off, the witness said. But later that night, Mauldin was jarred awake by a pounding on his atrium door the next morning. He said it sounded like metal on metal — "Like a gun."

Mauldin got out of bed and allegedly saw Turner near the shed with a pistol in his hand before Turner accused Benham of pulling the gun on him. Mauldin said he told Turner that was B.S. because "Marilyn would never touch a gun."

As he left the property to call the cops, he allegedly saw Turner "put a tarp over something." He said he thought it was the bodies.

Mauldin said that when Turner backed his car out of the driveway to let him out, he noticed the car's hatch open, "like it was ready to put something in it."

The defense played the 911 call for Mauldin and grilled him on some of the statements he made, including Turner's alleged involvement in the murders. Mauldin said he barely remembered the call but was adamant that most of what he told dispatch was told to him by Turner. Mauldin also told the defense counsel he did not believe Turner was intoxicated at the time he allegedly committed the murders.

Aside from the neighbor's testimony, the jury also heard from investigators who were first to arrive at the scene of the murders. Jurors were also shown photographs of the evidence, including the victims' bloodstains and weed prevention tarp Turner allegedly used to wrap the couple's bodies.

Additionally, Turner sent text messages to people the night before that implied he was gearing up to kill the couple. It also came out in testimony that there was a wooden board left for Green to read by Turner.

"Jordan, Don't use this broken s*** as excuse. I'm only excepting cash. $100 for parts. One week. Sell this battery, sell whatever. After a week I start taxing. It didn't need to go down this way!," it reads.

The trial resumed Wednesday and is currently scheduled to end Friday.