April 9, 2021 - Instead of beginning jury selection for trial, on Wednesday, April 7 Defendant Benjamin Goddard entered no contest pleas to Involuntary Manslaughter and Furnishing Narcotics to a Minor for a negotiated sentence of nine years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Benjamin Goddard, through entry of his no contest plea, admits responsibility for the death of Heaven Murillo on or around September 2, 2017. Ms. Murillo was seventeen years old at the time of her death, and was last seen approximately a month prior to being found.

The investigation into Ms. Murillo's death began on September 2, 2017, when dove hunters found her body in a field north of Dickenson Ferry Road and east of South Thornton Road in the City of Merced. The Merced County Sheriff's Office Coroner Unit, the Missing and Unidentified Persons Section of DOJ, and the Human Identification Laboratory at California State University Chico all worked to identify Ms. Murillo's remains. Ms. Murillo was positively identified in April of 2018. At that point, the Merced Police department Detective Unit was able to begin their investigation into Ms. Murillo's disappearance and death in earnest.

Medical experts were unable to determine a cause of death. The autopsy ruled Ms. Murillo's death a homicide, but the cause of death was "undetermined". Detectives with the Merced Police Department identified Mr. Goddard as a person of interest. Ms. Murillo was seen with Mr. Goddard on July 31, 2017, and telephone records also indicated Mr. Goddard traveled to the field where Ms. Murillo's body was located. A search uncovered other evidence created by Mr. Goddard that suggested Mr. Goddard travelled to the field at least one time after Ms. Murillo's body was transported to the location. When interviewed, Mr. Goddard admitted to spending time with Ms. Murillo during the days and hours before her death, and he admitted to using methamphetamine with her, but he denied any responsibility for her death or the transport of her body to the empty field.

Medical evidence confirmed methamphetamine and one prescription drug in Ms. Murillo's system. In the years since Ms. Murillo's body was identified. the investigation has never been able to locate evidence to help in determining exactly how Ms. Murillo died or who she was with at the time. At the outset, Detective Russel was the lead detective on the case, but upon identification of Ms. Murillo, the entire detective unit at the Merced Police Department took on the case. Travis Colby and Angelica Lozano prosecuted the case. In light of the evidence in the case, District Attorney Kimberly Lewis approved the negotiated plea. Mr. Goddard is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2021.

Source: Merced County District Attorney