5 key details about Juan Carlos Benitez and Paul Rodelo's double murder |Sportskeeda Lite

The double murder of Juan Carlos Benitez and Paul Rodelo, two young residents of Las Vegas, sent shockwaves through the community, especially due to the brutal nature and rather futile motive behind the crime.

Dating back to 2009, this case saw Richard Granados and his brother Jose Granados-Dominguez Sr. rain down bullets on three youngsters in a pickup truck who had allegedly attacked their house with empty beer bottles.

This case is also the subject of Feuds Turned Fatal season 1 episode 4, which will premiere at 10 pm EST on ID. The show will take an in-depth look at the case, along with some testimonies from people who were directly present during the crime.

This case is filled with small details that make it even more complex than how It originally looked to the investigators. Ahead of the episode, let us go over five such details that are key in understanding the murders of Juan Carlos Benitez and Paul Rodelo.

5 chilling facts about Juan Carlos Benitez and Paul Rodelo's murder

1) The feud between Juan Carlos Benitez and his killer Richard Granados emerged from a love affair

Juan Carlos Benitez and Richard Granados, an older man who was an uncle of one of Benitez's friends, were at loggerheads for almost a year due to a feud that stemmed from Richard dating Juan Carlos's ex-girlfriend.

Juan Carlos was reportedly dating a 19-year-old woman named Paula Arenas Suarez when Richard entered their lives. She went on to break up with him and date Richard, leading to the issues between the two.

2) Juan Carlos Benitez, Paul Rodelo, and Cesar Sosa threw beer bottles at Richard Granados' home, kickstarting the murderous rampage

The feud drew out for one year before the tragic conclusion (Image via Pexels)

On the fateful day of the murders, Juan Carlos Benitez, Paul Rodelo, and Cesar Sosa drove in their pickup truck to Edna Avenue where Richard Granados lived. He threw empty beer bottles at the house.

This incited an extreme response that took two lives and left another on the brink of death.

3) Richard Granados reportedly shot 31 bullets at the pickup truck

31 bullets were fired at the pickup truck (Image via Pexels)

In what can only be described as a barbaric attack, Richard shot as many as 31 bullets at the pickup truck, killing both Benitez and Rodelo. Sosa sustained 10 gunshot wounds but managed to survive his injuries. His survival is nothing short of miraculous.

Following this, Granados fled Las Vegas.

4) Jose Granados Jr. was originally arrested for the crime

Carlos Sosa survived despite sustaining 10 bullets (Image via Pexels)

The police had originally arrested the 19-year-old nephew of Richard Granados in connection to the crime. He was the one who introduced Richard to Benitez and subsequently to Paula, which led to the murders.

However, he was not involved in these murders and was let go just a week after he was arrested. His uncle, the real perpetrator, was arrested two months later in Los Angeles, as per reports.

5) Richard Granados' defense claimed he fired in self-defense but the jury was not convinced

Richard Granados remains incarcerated today (Image via Pexels)

Granados' defense claimed that the firing was an act of self-defense as Juan Carlos Benitez had allegedly turned the truck around and was barreling toward him. However, footage caught on a neighbor's surveillance camera spoke a different tale.

Granados allegedly took out his rifle, asked his family to go inside, and rained bullets on the pickup truck.

Granados was ultimately sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The upcoming episode of Feuds Turned Fatal will cover this case in more detail.