Naman Shrestha
In CBS’ ‘Harlan Coben’s Final Twist: Shot in the Dark,’ the primary focus is on the tragic and mysterious killing of 36-year-old Benjamin “Ben” Oxley in his Minden, Nevada, home in February 2008. While the detectives suspected his wife, Melissa Oxley, who was with him during the murder, at first, unexpected revelations led them to unlikely perpetrators. The documentary features insightful interviews with Ben’s loved ones and the officials involved in the investigation, providing a detailed account of the case.
Ben Oxley Was Killed in His Sleep While His Wife Was Next to Him
Ed and Frances Oxley gave birth to a little bundle of joy in the form of Benjamin Robert “Ben” Oxley on January 20, 1972, in West Covina, California. At the age of 10, Ben relocated to Hawaii with his family and grew up in a loving household alongside his siblings — Charles Madison, Billy Oxley (twin brother), Daniel Oxley, Tina Madison, Ann Becker, Sonja Lenfestey, Amanda Oxley, and Lisa Fuentes. The 1990 Honokaa High School graduate also had several hobbies, including playing soccer and football, surfing, jet skiing, and spending time with his loved ones. In 1997, Ben crossed paths with a woman named Dawn, whom he married a couple of years later, in 1999.
During their marriage, Ben and Dawn welcomed a daughter, Alyssa. The year 2004 turned out to be a challenging one for Ben as it not only marked the end of his marriage to Dawn, but his mother also tragically passed away. At the time, he was employed at Paniolo Country Inn in Kamuela, Hawaii. About two years later, on September 17, 2006, Ben tied the knot with his soul mate, Melissa. The Carson Valley Christian Church member was a heating and air conditioning installer by profession. Unfortunately, his seemingly fulfilling life with his family in Minden, Nevada, was halted abruptly in the early morning hours of February 21, 2008.
His wife, Melissa Oxley, dialed 911 and told the authorities that Ben had been shot in his sleep, right beside her. “It’s really, really bad!” she said, describing the situation. When the police rushed to the house at 2800 Wildhorse Lane in the Johnson Lane area after 3:30 am on February 21, they discovered Ben dead in his bed. At the time of the murder, his wife Melissa, his then 6-year-old daughter Alyssa, and Melissa’s brother Craig were in the house. The autopsy revealed that the 36-year-old man had died of a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Immediately, a homicide investigation was launched in order to get to the bottom of the case.
Ben Oxley’s Past Came Back to Haunt Him
As the detectives searched the Oxley residence, they found shotgun ammo in Craig’s bedroom and some more weapons in the garage. Thus, he and Melissa were considered potential suspects in the case. During her interview, Melissa claimed that she was a deep sleeper and didn’t hear the killer before it was too late. Meanwhile, Craig was questioned about the shotgun shells found in his bedroom. However, Alyssa told the investigators that she had heard a door creak and noticed someone in the house. Besides defending herself and maintaining her innocence, Melissa led the police to a possible suspect — Ben’s ex-wife, Dawn. Not long after, the detectives knocked on Dawn’s residence and questioned her about Ben’s murder. She claimed that she and her boyfriend, James Kenneth Matlean, were together at home watching movies.
The fact that Melissa didn’t inquire about Ben’s $400,000 life insurance policy helped alleviate the concerns regarding a financial motive and led the investigators to eventually eliminate Melissa as a suspect. A few months later, the investigators zeroed in on Dawn, who had lost Alyssa’s custody after the divorce, giving her a possible motive for committing the crime. Soon, the authorities learned that her account of being at home on the fateful night was contradicted by the evidence placing her boyfriend, who had a criminal history, in a 7-Eleven store. After keeping a close eye on the two, the police caught James for stealing cigarettes and questioned him about his possible involvement in the murder. Although he maintained his innocence, Dawn contacted the authorities while allegedly intoxicated and acknowledged expressing her frustrations regarding Ben to James.
However, Dawn claimed that she never asked him to get rid of her ex-husband. Since she was intoxicated, her story was deemed unreliable. After her DUI arrest in November 2009, she provided a comprehensive account of the murder in a conscious state. In addition, her teenage son from a previous marriage also told the detectives that he heard his mother and James discussing killing Ben Oxley on the night of February 20, 2008. Once James learned about Dawn’s confession, he told them his side of the story. As per his account, she provided him with a map of Ben’s residence and asked him to also kill his daughter, Melissa. On June 9, 2010, James Matlean was charged with first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the death of Ben Oxley.
James is Currently Incarcerated at a Nevada Prison, While Dawn Leads a Private Life
Due to the circumstantial nature of the evidence against Dawn Oxley, the prosecution granted her immunity in exchange for testifying against James Kenneth Matlean at his trial. Initially, on December 6, 2010, James pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and denied shooting the 36-year-old man to death in his sleep. In August 2011, Dawn pleaded guilty to allowing her 15-year-old daughter to be present during multiple drug transactions. Thus, a couple of months later, on October 11, she was sentenced to 90 months in prison, but received credit for the 221 days she had already served in custody.
Having pleaded not guilty earlier and claiming that Dawn had accompanied him to Ben’s home and instructed him to kill her ex-husband and his daughter, James pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on March 16, 2012. Consequently, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Dawn was released in 2014 and relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she worked as a server for a while. Her current whereabouts remain a mystery as she prefers to stay out of the limelight. As for James, the 39-year-old killer is currently incarcerated at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, Nevada.
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