Benjamin Lee Hoffman II, 40, of Asheville was found dead in the Swannanoa River near Azalea Road on October 18, 2021, after the Asheville Fire Department responded to calls about a possible body in the water. He had been reported missing on October 15, 2021, and was last seen on September 17, 2021. The Asheville Police Department identified him on October 19 and opened a homicide investigation, concluding he died from a single gunshot wound to the head; the autopsy noted several bullet fragments.

Police named Roy Tyler Forbes, 32, of Louisiana, as the primary suspect; Forbes was charged with first-degree murder and felon-in-possession of a firearm. Investigators say Hoffman’s body was found floating in the river by a train conductor three days after the missing-person report, and that Forbes posted a social media photo showing a handgun matching the weapon used. The department asks anyone with information to contact them. Did anyone in the community see Benjamin or know his movements between September 17 and October 15?