Maryland man accused of shooting, killing roommate after fight over remote
SPRINGDALE, Md - A Maryland man charged in connection with the shooting death of his roommate has been ordered to held without bond.
Richard Bennaugh, 38, has been charged with manslaughter and other related charges after investigators with Prince George’s County police said he shot his roommate 26-year-old Domonique Scott Hayes in their Springdale home on Wednesday. Charging documents obtained by FOX 5 this week state the incident started over an argument related to the home’s T.V. remote control.
According to the charging documents, Bennaugh called 911 just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and told operators he shot his roommate after an altercation between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. that day. He told emergency call takers "his roommate had come at him with knives and that he shot him,"the charging documents state.
The documents list a detailed timeline of what Bennaugh told investigators happened before shots were fired. He said he went to the second floor to sleep on the living room sofa around 2 a.m. and woke up just after 5:30 a.m. to the sound of Scott Hayes in the kitchen "making a lot of noise." A few minutes later, Scott Hayes reportedly yelled and asked where the remote was.
Bennaugh said he ignored him and heard him walk behind the living room sofa, asking several times where the remote was. Bennaugh said he removed the blanket on top of his head to find Scott Hayes with two large knives, which prompted him to grab a handgun and point it at his roommate.
Scott Hayes initially backed up but then told Bennaugh he wouldn’t shoot him, according to the charging documents.
"There’s only one way to find out," Bennaugh allegedly replied, while still pointing the handgun at him.
When Scott Hayes approached him, Bennaugh said that’s when he began shooting. Scott Hayes ran upstairs to his room on the third floor, according to the suspect’s statement to police. Bennaugh said he saw the bullet holes in the walls but did not see any blood, so he didn’t think he actually shot his roommate and went back to sleep.
Richard Bennaugh, 38
A few hours later, the suspect said he drove to a friend’s home in Lanham to discuss what happened, then drove to a marijuana dispensary to purchase about $50 worth of marijuana before returning home to smoke. The charging documents state Bennaugh collected the fired cartridge casings, flushed them down the toilet, and swept the dust from the damage in the walls.
Shortly before calling 911, Bennaugh reportedly told several people what happened, and they urged him to contact police.
Alicia Imani lives in the neighborhood and said while she has seen Bennaugh a few times, she doesn’t know him on a personal level. Imani was home on Wednesday when police arrived in the neighborhood.
"There were crime scene investigator vans, which is when I knew there was something serious that happened. There was multiple, maybe six of them at least and one really, really big truck parked outside. Prior to that, they just swarmed in," she said. "You couldn’t actually turn around for a long time. They were pretty much here all night."
Imani said the situation has been a talker among some people she knows. Like other neighbors FOX 5 spoke with, she said it felt like a "one off" incident for an otherwise quiet neighborhood.
"It’s very, very safe. There have been times, people even left doors unlocked and nothing ever happens. My roommate always makes a joke, thank god we live in Springdale," she said. "I have a roommate, so we have had disagreements so it’s never gone that far. I can’t imagine anything would be that serious, you know."
It’s unclear if the suspect has obtained an attorney. Online records show he is due back in court on Feb. 9, as of this writing.