5-Years-Old Exposes Her Mom's Horrifying Secret

Case Overview

A welfare check at Patricia Ann Bennett’s home in Roseville began after a family concern that the 69-year-old was missing. What started as a routine check quickly escalated into a missing-person investigation, and then into a homicide investigation, after Patricia’s daughter, Carol Ray, provided shifting and contradictory accounts about Patricia’s whereabouts and medical status.

Initial Welfare Check: Conflicting Stories

• Police were sent to the 29,000 block of Congress Street to check on Patricia.
• Carol (the daughter) answered the door and said Patricia was not there, initially claiming:
  • Patricia was staying with Carol’s sister, and later
  • Patricia was staying with another sister named Carol on Christmas Street.
• Carol also described Patricia’s medical conditions (including COPD and cancer) and explained Patricia had limited driving due to dizzy spells.
• Patricia’s grandson, John, found the situation suspicious, especially because he believed Patricia had been repeatedly unavailable and that the welfare check did not resolve concerns.

Family Dispute Expands Into Deception

• Officers returned after John reported that Carol’s stories had changed each time.
• Carol controlled access to Patricia, and the family claimed that no one had physically seen Patricia for months.
• Additional inconsistencies surfaced, including Carol’s claims that Patricia was:
  • in the hospital or attending appointments, and
  • that Patricia had communicated with officers during the first welfare check.
• The family also alleged Carol was the reason Patricia couldn’t be reached and that Patricia’s money was being taken.

Real-Time Digital Contradictions

• Carol claimed Patricia was receiving a B12 shot at a doctor’s office, but officers checked and found Patricia was not actually scheduled and was not present.
• While officers were investigating, messages allegedly sent from Patricia’s phone and/or Facebook account continued, claiming:
  • Patricia was “home,”
  • Patricia was “at the hospital,” and
  • police were at the house again.
• Investigators increasingly suspected Carol was using Patricia’s Facebook account to send messages while Patricia herself remained unaccounted for.

Transition to Search Warrant and Discovery

• Because multiple lies were confirmed and Patricia’s whereabouts remained unknown, detectives were called in.
• Carol initially refused to sign consent for a full search.
• After evidence about Patricia’s online communications strengthened suspicion, investigators obtained a search warrant.
• During the search, detectives focused on the detached garage and related containers/vehicles.
• The key breakthrough came when investigators opened a large storage tote in the garage and found signs consistent with a concealed body—leading investigators to conclude that Patricia was inside.

Carol’s Account Collapses Against Forensic Evidence

• Ricky Schilling, the boyfriend living at the property, arrived during the discovery process and was detained and questioned.
• After Patricia’s body was found, Carol claimed the death was an accident, saying:
  • she heard banging,
  • went into the hallway,
  • and that a shooting occurred during a chaotic incident.
• Investigators challenged this explanation, noting:
  • The body was hidden in a tote in the garage, which would have been difficult to stage or handle without assistance.
  • Reported autopsy findings included a gunshot wound and three fresh puncture wounds on the neck, which did not fit a simple accidental-shooting narrative.
• Detectives also investigated whether Ricky had helped; investigators reported no evidence connecting him to the crime.

Outcome: Charges and Sentencing

• Authorities concluded Carol was responsible for Patricia’s death and had concealed her for an extended period.
• Reports also stated Carol continued using Patricia’s bank/credit while presenting Patricia as alive to other family members.
• Carol was charged with:
  • First-degree murder
  • Larceny
  • Felony firearm violations
• She accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 20 years.

Presenters / Contributors

• Officer Pelt (Roseville Police Department)
• Detective Garibay (present during questioning)
• Carol Ray (daughter; central subject of the case)
• John (grandson; pursuing welfare checks and reporting inconsistencies)
• Nick (brother) and Megan (Nick’s girlfriend; present during subsequent welfare/police contacts)
• Ricky Schilling (Carol’s boyfriend; lived at the property; questioned after the body was found)
• Dr. Capasso / Dr. Pazul (referenced medical providers in Carol’s claims and Patricia’s treatment)
• Clinic staff / West Cardiology (Casey) (phone contact with police regarding appointment/patient presence)