4 chilling details about Ben Oxley's murder

Ben Oxley's murder is one of the rare unforgettable cases that continue to haunt people. It is because of the brutality and manner of the murder. ID's new show, Does Murder Sleep? began its freshman run with the case of Ben's murder, who was shot to death in his own house on his bed while sleeping.

This case dates back to early 2008, when one night Melissa Oxley, the wife of the deceased, called 911 in the middle of the night after waking up and finding her husband shot to death.

Investigators had a hard time believing that Melissa was not behind the murder, as she claimed to be a sound sleeper, but the truth of the matter took the investigators on a twisted journey that ultimately led to the truth months later.

The synopsis for the first episode of Does Murder Sleep? reads:

Dawn Oxley, Ben's ex-wife, was found to be involved in the murder, though she was never charged as her boyfriend, James Matlean, pulled the trigger. With immunity negotiated, Dawn was never tried, but James continued to claim that Dawn was equally involved in the crime, even after he pleaded guilty.

4 shocking details about Ben Oxley's murder

1) Ben Oxley was shot to death when he was asleep beside his wife

Perhaps the scariest thing about Ben Oxley's murder was that he was sleeping in his own home and bed. He was with his wife, Melissa.

He was shot to death with a shotgun, which led to suspicions about Melissa's involvement, as she claimed that she did not hear the sound because she was a sound sleeper. On initial investigation, police also found no trace of forced entry or exit, making it a twisted case.

2) Melissa Oxley was almost charged because of a few defining factors

With no forced sign of entry and Melissa's shaky response to not hearing a shotgun go off, she was already on the list of suspects. Her activity after the death of Ben further prompted investigators to lean in her direction.

She was not only the beneficiary of her husband’s $400,000 life insurance policy but also started seeing someone else months after Ben's death, arousing suspicions.

The suspicion subsided later, as Melissa never inquired about the insurance money and didn’t seem to care about the payout. She later explained that she started dating because she wanted her life to be "normal" again.

3) Dawn's son became a key witness in the case

After the suspicion from Melissa subsided, the authorities focused on Dawn Oxley, Ben Oxley's ex-wife. She did not get custody of her daughter and had to pay child support. She and James Matlean, her boyfriend, claimed that they were drinking and watching films on the night of the murder.

However, an alibi from Dawn's son, Devin, proved instrumental in the case, as he claimed that he had heard his mother and James talk about killing Ben. Dawn soon revealed that James murdered Ben Oxley in exchange for immunity.

4) James Matlean continued to maintain that Dawn was involved in the murder

After his conviction, where James pleaded guilty to the murder of Ben Oxley, he continued to assert that Dawn was also involved in the plan. He even claimed that she was with him on the night of the murder.

However, Dawn could not be tried, so any alleged charges against her had to be dropped. She did get into trouble with the law later and even served a lengthy prison sentence.

Does Murder Sleep? explores this case in detail with its first episode on August 2, 2023, on ID.

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