The first episode of Netflix’s new true-crime docuseries, “Worst Ex Ever,” details the case of violent criminal Benjamin Foster, who held his ex-girlfriend hostage for three days.
Netflix is a leading producer of true crime documentaries, often focusing on grisly murders or bizarre crimes.
This time, the streamer made the unusual move of partnering with Blumhouse for “Worst Ex Ever,” a production company best known for horror movies including Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split,” and “M3GAN.” Each episode of “Worst Ex Ever” focuses on a different perpetrator.
The first episode mapped out Foster’s pattern of abusive behavior. A woman named Jaimee, who dated Foster for around two years, explained how he drugged her, shaved her head, kept her captive in her Las Vegas home for two weeks, and threatened to kill her.
She escaped and fled to a hospital after she persuaded him they needed groceries. She said in the documentary that at the hospital, she was treated for “seven broken ribs, two black eyes, bruises all over my body, lacerations all over my body” and other injuries.
As stated in the docuseries, Foster was charged with kidnapping, assault, and domestic violence. He was released from custody in October 2021 and moved to Grants Pass in southwestern Oregon.
The second half of the episode saw bartender Justine Siemens explain how she met Foster while they worked in a bar in Grants Pass. She reported him to her boss in December 2022 after he asked her for a clean urine sample, and he was fired.
At the end of January 2023, Foster hid out in Siemens’ home and beat her for three days, which left her with a brain injury.
She said in the docuseries: “Torture is an understatement for what I went through.”
Siemens was discovered by a friend, who called an ambulance. But Foster had already fled the property, and went on the run for a week.
Benjamin Foster died by suicide in February 2023
Foster used dating apps to trick unsuspecting victims into helping him evade the authorities in southwestern Oregon, and police offered a $2,500 reward for information that led to his arrest.
On January 31, 2023, Foster murdered an elderly man, Richard Barron, and his carer, Donald Griffith, in their home, which was 700 feet away from where Siemens lived, per the docuseries.
Foster was later found hiding in Siemen’s house that day by the authorities, who obtained a warrant to enter the property.
During the standoff, police officers used tear gas and drones to try to lure Foster out, but quickly realized that he was hiding underneath the house itself.
CBS reported Foster had “burrowed deep underneath the home.” He died by suicide, and officers had to pull up the floorboards to retrieve him.
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