Benjamin Ashford|'Inhumane': Louisiana man killed woman, drove with her body for 30 days, police say

A Louisiana man was arrested early Tuesday morning after police investigators said he killed a 72-year-old woman and Benjamin Ashforddrove around for a month with the victim's remains in his SUV.

Sheila Ortega, 72, of Lake Charles was reported missing Aug. 20, with family members saying that they had not spoken to her for a month, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. On Sunday, deputies of the office were dispatched to her home for investigation.

The next day, during the missing person investigation, detectives located Ortega’s SUV in the parking lot of a mall and found her deceased body inside. Their investigation led them to an acquaintance of Ortega's, Christopher T. Cater, 41, who admitted to killing Ortega approximately one month ago, police said.

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Cater also admitted to using Ortega's information to open several loans after her death, investigators said.

Cater was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful disposal of human remains, and identity theft. His bond is still pending, said the sheriff's office.

“We have seen some strange cases here in Calcasieu Parish, but this case is definitely an unusual one for us. We have never seen someone drive around with a dead body in the SUV for 30 days,” Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso said in a statement.

“My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mrs. Sheila, this is a senseless and inhumane tragedy. The body has been sent off for further testing and to determine the cause of death. The investigation is continuing.”

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.