Man faces 4 first-degree murder charges in Southern Idaho killings. What we know
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A Burley man was charged Wednesday with four counts of first-degree murder after four people were found dead Tuesday in Southern Idaho east of Twin Falls.
Benjamin Roy Naylor, 56, was arrested during a traffic stop Tuesday after deputies from Cassia and Minidoka counties, as well as members of the Rupert Police Department, investigated four homicides believed to be related, according to a joint news release from law enforcement agencies.
Police believe Naylor acted alone, the release said.
The investigation was initiated by a 911 call Tuesday afternoon, which led officers to discover a “homicide victim inside a home in Rupert,” which is in Minidoka County, according to the release. In the hours that followed, two additional victims were found in neighboring Cassia County, south of Rupert. A fourth victim was found in a vehicle in Minidoka County.
A Facebook post by the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office late Tuesday evening indicated that a suspect was in custody and that there was no active threat to the public.
“We offer our deepest sympathies to the victims’ families during this profoundly difficult time,” the release from the two counties’ sheriff’s offices early Wednesday afternoon read.
Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, both counties’ prosecutor’s offices put out a release saying that Naylor appeared in court Wednesday and was charged with first-degree murder. Preliminary hearings are set for Naylor in both counties: 9 a.m. on Friday, July 18, in Cassia County and 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, in Minidoka County.
“We are grateful for the swift response and professional work of all officers involved,” Cassia County Prosecuting Attorney McCord Larsen said in the release. Larsen urged the public to “refrain from spreading unverified information about this case,” which Larsen said could “harm the investigation and potentially impact the defendant’s right to a fair trial.”
“Our offices are committed to working together to seek justice for the victims and their families,” Minidoka County Prosecuting Attorney Lance Stevenson said in the release.
Naylor is being held without bail, the prosecutors’ release said. A representative for the prosecutors’ offices told the Idaho Statesman by email that Naylor was incarcerated at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center in Burley.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Idaho State Police aided in the traffic stop that apprehended Naylor, according to the law enforcement release.
The investigation into the killings is ongoing, according to the prosecutors.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
