Cheyenne Clough was murdered by her so-called friends who feared she was a snitch

Mugshots of Shawn Benson, Edward Zelko, and Justin Jensen
Shawn Benson, Edward Zelko, and Justin Jensen were all charged with the murder of Cheyenne Clough. Pic credit: Wright County Sheriff’s office

Cheyenne Clough from Buffalo, Minnesota, was shot four times and left for dead in Crow Springs County Park on June 1, 2016. She was discovered by a girl walking to school and was taken to a hospital where she died four days later.

Cheyenne was only 19-years-old and was the mother to three-year-old Elijah when she was murdered. Her killers would turn out to be her so-called friends.

Witnesses told police that they had heard a woman screaming and the sound of possible gunshots at approximately 3 AM near the park on the night Cheyenne was shot.

The police quickly rounded up five suspects: Shawn Tyler Benson, Edward Victor Zelko, and Justin Michael Jensen were all accused of murder, whereas Natasha Brandenburger and Callie Anderson were charged with aiding and abetting.

The six were supposed to be friends, but in a group where Meth use was rampant, friendship loyalties were quick to unravel.

Cheyenne had got into an argument with Brandenburger and Anderson because she believed one of them had called a bounty hunter to arrest her boyfriend Devon Boyles, who was on an outstanding warrant.

Cheyenne Clough’s friend thought she was going to snitch on them

The group feared that Clough was going exact her revenge by “snitching” on Anderson, who also had an outstanding warrant out for her arrest.

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Jensen allegedly became worried that Cheyenne would “take us all down” he, therefore, ordered Benson and Zelko to take her somewhere and “put two in the back of her head.”

Under the pretext of driving Cheyenne home, Benson and Zelko took their victim to Crow Springs Park, where they shot her four times.

Shawn Benson and Justin Jensen each received 40 years in prison for their roles in the murder. Zelko received a sentence of 30 years for his part.

A fourth man, Thomas Forrest Nicholson, was charged with aiding abetting the killers after he feigned ignorance of the suspects when questioned by the police.

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Dead Reckoning airs Thursday at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.

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