Murder in the Heartland is investigating the murder of Charles “Charlie” McBride by Benjamin “Ben” Savage in the small town of Challis, Idaho.
On February 25, 2019, 23-year-old McBride vanished without a trace after he set out for work. A month later, his body was uncovered on a private property in a secluded area near Morgan’s Creek.
The father of a 3-year-old son had been shot execution-style, and his body burned and buried.
McBride’s friend told the cops that he had dropped him off to work with a man called Ben Savage, and he’d failed to turn up when the friend went to collect him after work.
When Savage was questioned by local reporters, he claimed “[McBride] was high on meth. That’s all I can tell you right now. I’m working with the police right now. It’ll come out soon.”
It later emerged that Savage had told Custer County Sheriff Stu Lumpkin where to find McBride’s remains, leading to his arrest a short time later.
Salacious rumors surrounded case as Ben Savage accused of killing Charles McBride
This murder rocked this small-town community, and rumors and accusations were flung about.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelSavage’s defense attorney, David Cannon, referenced some of these rumors that included allegations of infidelity. At one point, McBride was accused of being in multiple relationships with several women, including underage girls, and the use of drugs was suggested.
When Cannon referenced the rumors in court, McBride’s family members acted angrily, with one relative shouting, “That’s hearsay, can he even say that?”
During the trial, it was implicated that Savage’s girlfriend may have been involved in the murder. The unidentified woman has not been charged with any crime and was in Twin Falls, ID, at the time of the murder, nearly 200 miles to the south.
Ben Savage confessed to Charles McBride murder
Savage pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years and a maximum of life. He will be eligible for parole in 2041.
At his sentencing, the killer said, “I take full responsibility for my actions. That’s why I plead guilty. I apologize and ask for forgiveness from Charlie’s family and his friends. … If there was some way I could bring him back, I would.”
Prosecuting attorney Justin Oleson called the crime a “cold-blooded murder,” and District Judge Steven Thompson said, “It’s really an execution-style killing.”
Murder in the Heartland airs Wednesday at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.