A Las Vegas courthouse descended into chaos when two families fought following a court hearing for a man accused of gunning down his girlfriend before going to sleep and calling police about the murder nine hours later.
The family of Renise Wolfe appeared at the North Las Vegas Justice Court for the felony arraignment of Markeem Benson on Thursday, when they met face-to-face with Benson’s supporters.
Benson is charged with Open Murder and Possession of a Firearm as a felon in the fatal shooting of Wolfe last weekend, according to court records.
In the lobby after the hearing, Robert Wolfe – Wolfe’s father and a retired police officer – charged at a man identified as Benson’s brother, KLAS reported.
Wolfe’s mother, Tracy Coleman claimed Benson’s brother had been antagonizing her family.
Robert Wolfe was escorted to his car by court marshals.
As the courthouse emptied, the two families met again outside and a second argument broke out, but the second altercation did not turn physical.
No charges have been filed against the older Wolfe.
Renise Wolfe and Benson had only been dating for five months when the suspected shooting took place inside an apartment.
The couple went to a family holiday party on Dec. 21 where they appeared normal at first but got into an argument after a woman Benson knew showed up, the outlet reported.
Benson, who was known to be “very possessive,” had a history of getting into fights, according to a police report viewed by KSNV.
After leaving the party, Benson and Wolfe went to an apartment on East Rome Blvd near Centennial Pkwy and 5th Street where an altercation broke out between the couple.
The 33-year-old tattoo artist reportedly went after her boyfriend with a gun and the “gun went off” during a tussle, Benson’s father told police, the report stated.
On Dec. 22, Benson called his brother and father, telling them he “did something bad.”
Benson’s father called the police at 10:16 am telling them that his son called saying “I killed her, I think I killed her.”
The suspected murderer couldn’t remember how long ago the killing happened as he had “fallen asleep.”
“Markeem said he fell asleep after the shooting, and police were not notified for almost nine hours after the shooting,” the report said.
Detectives revealed Wolfe had been shot four times in the back of the head, noting that the angle of the shots indicated that Benson was aiming down at his victim.
“This means Markeem would have been standing over the top of Renise as he fired that round,” the report states.
Wolfe’s grieving mother claimed her daughter was shot while she lay defenseless on the ground.
“He shot her while she was laying on the ground in a fetal position, behind the ear, what does that tell you,” a tear-filled Coleman told KLAS.
Benson, who was arrested outside a nearby restaurant Sunday, was denied bail Thursday with the judge adding he was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Benson’s criminal past includes Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery, both felonies, court records show.
He is being held at the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center and is scheduled to appear back in court on Jan. 30, 2025.
