On July 19, 2022, 42-year-old Benjamin Case was shot twice and killed on his boat at Branched Oak Lake near Lincoln, Nebraska. He had been hosting a late-night party when a gunman boarded the vessel; the four other people on the boat escaped into the water and Case died at the scene. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting was not believed to be random and investigators launched an immediate inquiry. A Lincoln man was arrested in connection with the homicide.

Case’s family and friends remembered him for his love of the lake and his boat; his daughter Payton Case said he had lived on the boat for a few years and was obsessed with being out on the water. A vigil was held at Branched Oak Lake the Wednesday after the shooting, with mourners gathering at the dock where he kept the boat, lighting candles, playing his favorite music and sharing memories. Payton, who had been celebrating her 18th birthday when she learned of the killing, expressed gratitude for the arrest and hoped for justice.

If anyone was at Branched Oak Lake that night or has information about the events on the boat, please come forward.