Trent Christopher Benson was born on October 7, 1971, in South Korea. He was abandoned by his birth parents and left alone to wander the streets. At the age of 3, he was taken in by an orphanage. There, he was adopted by David and Elizabeth Benson, an American couple from Fosston, Minnesota. The Bensons had already adopted several other children. They were known to be a loving and caring family.

Trent grew up in Fosston and attended Fosston High School. He was involved in various activities and showed talent in sports. He excelled in track and field and was a member of the school choir. He eventually became the captain of the swimming team. Many people considered him friendly and likable. He did not have a reputation for bad behavior during his school years.

After graduating from high school, Trent enrolled at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He studied there from the fall of 1990 to the spring of 1992. During this time, he had one notable incident where he was arrested for shoplifting at a Macy's store in Fargo, North Dakota. It is unclear if he served any time for this arrest. While most of his peers thought well of him, some noticed that he could be overly persistent in pursuing relationships with girls.

Once he graduated from university, Trent began working as a salesman at a used car dealership. He started this career in Minnesota and later moved to Mesa, Arizona, in 1996. In Mesa, he continued working in the car industry and eventually married Merchelle Tohonnie. The couple had a son together, but their marriage ended in divorce after several years. Trent cited Merchelle's supposed alcoholism as a primary reason for their split.

In 2000, Trent's parents bought a condominium in a nice neighborhood in Mesa. He moved in shortly after. His neighbors respected him and saw him as a helpful member of the community. He often participated in homeowner's association meetings. In late 2007, with help from his parents, he opened a small store called "Lindsay Water and Ice" in a strip mall. He sold ice cream, candy, water, and ice there.

On November 1, 2004, Trent Christopher Benson left a strip club and picked up Alisa Marie Beck, a 21-year-old woman. After having a sexual encounter, he became angry when Beck criticized him. In his rage, he hit her head on the steering wheel and choked her until she passed out. He then abandoned her partially-clothed body in an alley just a mile from his home. Later that day, Beck's body was discovered.

On August 16, 2007, Benson kidnapped a 47-year-old Hispanic woman from a busy intersection. He forced her into his car and took her to an empty house. There, he stripped her of her clothes and raped her. After the attack, the woman was able to catch a taxi home and reported the assault to the police.

On October 14, 2007, Benson approached Karen Jane Campbell, a 44-year-old woman, on the street. After negotiating a price for sex, he became upset when she asked for more money. In a fit of anger, he murdered her and left her body on a side street. In his haste to leave, he accidentally ran over her body. Ten days later, her nude body was found, but investigators could not determine the cause of her death.

Benson's final known attack occurred on November 4, 2007. He abducted a 35-year-old woman from Phoenix and took her to an abandoned house, where he raped and assaulted her. Fortunately, this victim survived and was later found by someone passing by.

Initially, law enforcement did not connect these crimes, but DNA evidence eventually linked them all to Benson. The investigation started as officers watched him due to past arrests for soliciting prostitutes. On May 14, 2008, police collected a used cigarette and matched its DNA to the one from the crime scenes, leading to his arrest. He faced charges for two counts of murder, sexual assault, and kidnapping.

Benson's arrest shocked his community and his family, who believed he was incapable of such crimes. After his arrest, police suspected he might be involved in more assaults, including the 2007 murder of another woman, Elisa Dewakuku.

During interrogations, Benson admitted to sexual encounters with the murdered women but claimed he could not remember the events after that. Authorities suggested he may have had an accomplice, but this person was never found.

Benson's trial began three years later. He pleaded not guilty to all charges but was ultimately found guilty. The jury did not find any reasons to lessen his punishment and recommended a death sentence for the murders. He was later sentenced to death and received an additional 135 years for the sexual assaults. As of April 2022, he remains on death row in Arizona.