It started with a simple Facebook message. Seventeen-year-old Kaytlin Angela Root from St. Joseph, Missouri, was lured to a local park by someone she thought she could trust. But on October 16, 2016, that trust was betrayed in the most horrific way. Joggers discovered Kaytlin's lifeless body near a trail in Krug Park—she had been brutally stabbed and strangled.
The investigation quickly led to two individuals: Amanda Bennett, 17, and Sebastian Dowell, 18. Bennett had reached out to Kaytlin on Facebook, setting the trap that would lead to her death. Shockingly, Bennett later revealed that the murder was intended as a "demonic sacrifice."
Both Bennett and Dowell were charged with second-degree murder. Dowell pleaded guilty and, in May 2017, was sentenced to life in prison. Bennett also pleaded guilty and received a 25-year sentence.
This case serves as a chilling reminder of the dark side of social media connections and the unforeseen dangers that can lurk behind a screen.
