The American Dream Shattered

A Horrific Discovery in a Townhouse in Frederick, Maryland

On March 26, 2007, police entered a townhouse and found five bodies: four murdered children and the body of their father, Pedro Rodriguez.

The mother, Deysi Marlene Benitez, was missing. Before long, police declared that she was not a suspect. Many following this story feared she would not be found alive.

Pedro Rodriguez, Deysi Benitez, and Three of Their Children: Elsa, Vanessa, and Angel. (Source: Frederick News-Post; file photo by Bill Green.)

Searching for the American Dream

The Rodriguez-Benitez family came to the United States from El Salvador. They were legal residents granted temporary protective status because of instability in El Salvador. Benitez was just 15 years old and pregnant when she entered the United States, joining Rodriguez in California before they moved to Maryland.

Both parents found work. Rodriguez worked for the local factory of a company that makes doors for homes. He may have held a local warehouse as well. Benitez worked at several places in the hospitality industry in Frederick: fast-food restaurants and a steak place. They lived near an area called the Golden Mile, a retail area in Frederick that includes places like Denny’s, tire shops, discount stores such as Big Lots, and a used bookstore that is a Frederick icon. It is not given the respect that goes to downtown Frederick’s more famous shopping district with its antique stores, specialty…