Kriti Mehrotra
It was September 29, 2021, when 17-year-old Meghan Elliott was found dead in her bed in her family home in Harris County, Texas. As showcased on CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Boy Who Killed His Twin,’ she was killed at the hands of the person she trusted the most — her beloved twin brother, Benjamin Elliott. While there has been a mountain of evidence against him, he has long asserted he would have never harmed his sister if it were up to him because all he felt was care and love for her.
Benjamin Elliot Was the One to Call 911 After Fatally Stabbing His Twin, Meghan
Benjamin Elliot is the son of Kathy and Michael Elliot. Before welcoming him and his twin sister, Meghan, the couple gave birth to a daughter whom they named Elizabeth. Benjamin has always asserted that he shared a beautiful bond with his twin sister, Meghan. In fact, according to all those near to them, the siblings were like two peas in a pod with no real big issue between them as they lived a life full of trust and understanding. Therefore, by the fall of 2021, the 17-year-olds were excited to continue their education as seniors at a local high school and embrace the challenges they believed would be coming their way. However, everything turned upside down in the early hours of September 29, 2021, as Benjamin asserted he suddenly awoke in Meghan’s room and found her with a knife to her neck.
As per his statement to the police, he initially believed he was dreaming, but as soon as he realized he wasn’t, he removed the knife and started applying pressure on the wound. The knife, he said, was one of his father’s many hunting knives, and when he noticed his sister actually had multiple stab wounds, he immediately dialled 911. When the dispatcher instructed him to perform CPR, he claimed he didn’t hesitate to begin, but it was already too late. When first responders arrived at the scene, they took over from Benjamin before realizing there was nothing that could be done. They pronounced her dead at the scene, shattering the hearts of her parents, who had awoken from all the commotion going on. Benjamin was taken in to answer some questions because of the indication that he had killed his sister.
Benjamin Elliot Claimed He Was Sleepwalking During the Incident
While at the scene and being escorted to a police car, Benjamin reportedly told an officer that he didn’t want to be treated well. He said he didn’t “deserve respect” because he “killed (his) sister.” Then, in a taped recording, he asserted, “I freaked out and, like, put the knife down and put a pillow on her to try and stop the bleeding. Then called, you know, 911 from my phone.” Benjamin stated he had a history of sleepwalking and believed that he was sleepwalking when he killed his sister.
Nevertheless, Benjamin was arrested on the charge of his sister’s murder, following which he was tested for sleepwalking (or Somnambulism) to ascertain if he was lying. As per an expert in the field, Benjamin usually fell asleep quickly but had trouble waking up and would often have no memory of the conversations he had while asleep. The sleep study also showed he scored high on a sleepiness scale, but it was unclear what could have turned a normal night deadly. The medical professional went further and uncovered that Benjamin could have developed automatic behavior patterns in his sleep owing to his history with sleepwalking.
According to the expert, a “perfect storm” of factors, such as sleep deprivation and the proximity of the knife, could have led to Benjamin’s horrific actions on the fateful day, following which he suddenly woke up. As per police records, Benjamin also told them about dealing with what it’s like being a teenager, but reported no serious mental health issues, which was later reiterated in court, too. When he eventually stood trial for the charges against him, the expert testified for the defense. Another witness claimed that Benjamin had once sleepwalked to his sister’s room, but didn’t respond even after she had called out his name.
Benjamin Elliott is Currently Serving Time in a State Prison
Benjamin Elliott maintained he didn’t hurt his sister consciously, and his entire family backed him up, with his great aunt testifying about a family history of sleepwalking and his parents focusing on the relationship between the siblings’ friends. However, things weren’t as black and white for prosecutors. Michael Elliott revealed the weapon used to kill Meghan was one his son had recently become “enamored with,” and it was even indicated that Benjamin called the entire ordeal the worst nightmare of his life. Regardless, the prosecutors argued that while there may have been no bad blood between the siblings, their belief is that Benjamin killed Meghan while completely conscious.
They reportedly present evidence indicating that his phone was being used not long before his sister’s death and that the phone was locked about 20 minutes before he called 911 to report that he’d stabbed his sister. They asserted he couldn’t have been in deep enough sleep to sleepwalk and that he was likely not asleep at all. In the end, in February 2025, Benjamin was found guilty of the murder of his sister. While the defense subsequently asked the judge to impose the minimum possible sentence of 5 years in prison, the prosecution asked for 40 years. In the end, the day after his conviction, the judge issued a 15-year sentence on the now 21-year-old. Thus, today, he remains incarcerated at the maximum-security John B. Connally Unit in unincorporated Karnes County, Texas, where he is expected to remain until he becomes eligible for parole in August 2032.
Read More: Kathy and Michael Elliott: Where Are Benjamin Elliott’s Parents Now?
