Scottsdale Police Solve Cold-Case Murder from 1978

Jon Benson, 45

Victim and suspect were both 14 when the murder took place.

A man already in prison for attempting to lure a child has now been indicted in the 1978 Scottsdale murder of a teenager that had previously been unsolved.

A Maricopa County grand jury has indicted Jon Benson, 45, for second degree murder in the death of Greg Holman. Holman was 14 when he disappeared. He was last seen with Benson leaving a Scottsdale park.

In 1992, police excavated the back yard of the home on Joshua Tree Dr. where Benson had lived at the time of the murder, and discovered the skeleton of a human torso. It was found in an underground "fort" that investigators say was used by neighborhood teens to hang out, including using alcohol and drugs. However, detectives were not able to positively identify the victim at that time.

In 2006, the Scottsdale Police Department's new Cold Case Team re-opened the case. DNA evidence positively identified the bones as belonging to Holman.

In the meantime, Lt. Craig Chrzanowski says, police have been able to talk to a number of witnesses who provided information about the activities that used to take place in the fort, and about the relationship between Holman and Benson. However, they aren't able to release any details about that evidence since the most recent witness came forward within the past month.

In a second cold-case also recently solved, 53-year-old Steven Scoutten has been indicted for first-degree murder in the 1986 killing of Dwayne Nutt. Nutt's body was found in his hotel room at the Hospitality Inn.

During the investigation, Scoutten was the primary suspect. Bloody clothing was found in a Tempe park and was believed to have been worn by Scoutten during the murder. However, investigators weren't able to tie the case positively to him.

Last year, with advances in DNA technology, the case was reopened. Earlier this year, DNA from blood on the clothing was matched to the victim, and other DNA from the clothing was linked to Scoutten, according to police.

Scottsdale detectives traveled to Tucson earlier this month and interviewed Scoutten, where they say he admitted he stabbed Dwayne Nutt.