John Jefferson
Insets: Markeem Bunson and his girlfriend Renise Wolfe. Background: Renise Wolfe’s mother, Tracy Coleman, speaking about her daughter’s death Thursday, Dec. 26, outside North Las Vegas Justice Court (KLAS/YouTube).
A Las Vegas man allegedly murdered his new girlfriend — shooting her four times in the back of her head — after telling her mom the night before she was found dead that he’d “get her home safe” and “take care of her” following a family holiday party, the mother says. It was the last time that Tracy Coleman saw her daughter, Renise “NeNe” Wolfe, alive.
“Please get my daughter home safe,” Coleman recalled telling Wolfe’s boyfriend, Markeem Benson, in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week. “I’ll get her home safe,” Benson allegedly replied as he walked Coleman to her car on Saturday night.
“I’ll take care of her, I promise.”
Benson, 29, is accused of killing Wolfe just days before Christmas at her apartment in the 100 block of East Rome Boulevard near Centennial Parkway. Benson’s father allegedly called North Las Vegas Police and told them Benson wanted to turn himself in for the fatal shooting after Wolfe, 33, was found dead on Sunday morning. Benson, who was on probation for an attempted robbery conviction, was taken into custody Thursday and arraigned on murder and weapons charges.
“The victim was shot behind the ear from the back of the head, four times,” said Michelle Jobe, the Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney, at Benson’s arraignment, according to Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS. “He claims there was a struggle and the gun went off.”
Wolfe’s family told the Review-Journal that they never expected Benson — who had only been dating Wolfe for five months — would do something like this, with him coming off to them as a caring and loving boyfriend in interactions with her and them.
“He makes you really trust him,” Coleman told the Review-Journal, adding that Benson was always checking in on Wolfe and dropping in at her work to see her. “That’s how he took care of her,” Coleman said.
With her daughter now dead and Benson on trial for her murder, Coleman and the rest of Wolfe’s family told the Review-Journal they plan to attend every court hearing to make sure justice is served in her case.
“We’ll be here every single time,” said Ashley Tuttle, Wolfe’s sister.
“People always say when somebody passes, ‘they were so wonderful.’ But my daughter was wonderful,” Coleman added.
Wolfe’s loved ones spoke to the Review-Journal outside the North Las Vegas Justice Court on Thursday, where Benson appeared for his arraignment. A physical confrontation and fight wound up breaking out between Wolfe’s family and Benson’s relatives after the hearing, which resulted in Wolfe’s father — a former Las Vegas police officer — being detained by police in handcuffs, according to KLAS.
The fight happened after Wolfe’s dad allegedly charged a man identified by local media as Benson’s brother, who was taunting Wolfe’s family in court, per Coleman and others. It’s unclear if authorities charged anyone involved in the incident. Police officials could not be reached for comment by Law&Crime on Friday.
Benson’s bond was denied during his arraignment, with the judge citing his prior convictions for home invasion and attempted robbery, which led to him being placed on probation in November.
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