← Back to United States casesPatrick Delasard Murdered by Gregory Bender, Deltona, Florida, United States
Case Summary
According to the source, 25-year-old Patrick Delasard was found fatally shot inside his Deltona home on February 27, 2018, shortly before his planned marriage to Jessica Donani. Jessica had previously maintained an approximately eight-year relationship with wealthy businessman Gregory Bender, who was allegedly married to Dimora Sanchez, controlled Jessica, harassed her after their separation, and threatened Patrick after discovering their relationship. Investigators initially considered a hostile neighbor but cleared him through an alibi. A notebook and a shell casing recovered from Gregory's office, together with messages, phone records, and evidence of prior threats, connected Gregory to a carefully planned killing. The source reports that Gregory was convicted of first-degree murder in 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole; his appeals were reportedly denied.
Basic Information
Country: United States
State/Province: Florida, United States
City/Region: Deltona
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Love triangle
Relationship Duration: Approximately 8 months (Patrick and Jessica relationship)
Affair / New-Partner Context
Recorded context: Romantic-rival / love-triangle context
Reported initiator: Victim
Relationship timing: During marriage or ongoing partnership, before separation
Incident Date: Feb. 27, 2018
Relationship Journey
Relationship Origins:
- Met online / Email / Website
- Dating app
Relationship Stages:
- Dating
- Engaged
- Long Distance Same Country
Analysis
Contributing Factors:
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Domestic Violence Allegation
- Domestic Conflict
- Love obsession
- Divorce / Separation
- Suspicion of infidelity
Red Flags:
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Financial secrecy
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Secret affair
- Manipulative behavior
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Firearm Access / Concerning Weapon Behavior
Motives:
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Jealousy
- Eliminate romantic rival
Relationship Outcomes:
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before marriage
- Arrest made
- Engagement ended
- Relationship ended
Source Video
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People Link Graph
Patrick Delasard Murdered by Gregory Bender, Deltona, Florida, United States
Relationship Journey Graph
Origin
- Met online / Email / Website
- Dating app
How the relationship or connection began.
Status
- Love triangle
Approximately 8 months (Patrick and Jessica relationship)
Stages
- Dating
- Engaged
- Long Distance Same Country
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Warning Signals
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Financial secrecy
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Secret affair
- Manipulative behavior
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Firearm Access / Concerning Weapon Behavior
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Pressure Points
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Domestic Violence Allegation
- Domestic Conflict
- Love obsession
- Divorce / Separation
- Suspicion of infidelity
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Jealousy
- Eliminate romantic rival
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
Incident
2018-02-27
Outcome
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before marriage
- Arrest made
- Engagement ended
- Relationship ended
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
AI Intelligence Assessment
Relationship Pattern
Romantic Triangle
Pattern Analysis
The source describes a romantic triangle involving Jessica, her former long-term partner Gregory Bender, and her new fiance Patrick Delasard. Gregory allegedly concealed his marriage, exercised controlling behavior, escalated from persuasion to threats and harassment, and treated Patrick as a rival. The reported homicide occurred before Patrick and Jessica could marry and was later linked by prosecutors to planning, stalking, and indirect physical evidence.
Investigative Notes
Police reportedly found Patrick shot four times in his home and ruled out robbery because valuables remained untouched. A surveillance hard drive was missing, and no usable fingerprints, shoeprints, or DNA were reportedly recovered. A hostile neighbor was initially arrested or detained as a suspect but had a corroborated alibi. Police used a call from Jessica to Gregory in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a confession. A later report from Gregory's wife Dimora led to a search of Gregory's office, where torn pages containing a house plan and crime instructions were reportedly found in a trash bin. A fourth shell casing from the scene was reportedly recovered under an ashtray on Gregory's desk and forensically matched. Gregory was tried beginning in May 2021, convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life without parole, and reportedly unsuccessful in later appeals.
Investigation Confusion
The investigation initially faced a near-empty crime scene, a missing surveillance drive, no weapon, no eyewitnesses, and no direct physical evidence placing Gregory at the house. A neighbor with a documented conflict and alleged stalking behavior was initially considered but reportedly had a strong alibi. At trial, the defense disputed the legality of the search, argued that the notebook reflected fantasy rather than action, suggested the shell casing could have been planted, and challenged Jessica's firearm identification. Dimora's later uncertainty and altered testimony added further evidentiary complexity.
Case Reconstruction / Puzzle Pieces
The reported relationship pathway began with Jessica's long-term relationship with Gregory, who allegedly concealed his marriage and resisted her attempts to leave. After Jessica met Patrick through a dating site and became engaged to him, Gregory allegedly sought to regain control, threatened both partners, paid professionals to identify Patrick, and sent Patrick threatening messages. The couple obtained a restraining order and installed cameras, but Patrick was later found shot inside his home. Investigators connected the relationship history, threats, planning notes, house diagram, instructions for avoiding traces, and the recovered shell casing to Gregory; the jury accepted this circumstantial case and convicted him.
Risk Assessment
The source describes a high-risk escalation pattern: concealed marriage, coercive control, repeated threats, stalking, hacking of communications, access to firearms, a restraining order, and continued concern about surveillance. Jessica's fear and the couple's decision to install cameras were reported warning signs. The source reports that Patrick was killed despite the protective measures, but it does not independently verify every allegation or establish whether all preventive conditions were legally enforced.
Key Takeaways
The source highlights the danger of escalation from coercive control and concealed relationships to stalking, threats, surveillance, and violence. Important comparison indicators include a partner refusing separation, threats toward a new partner, unauthorized access to private communications, firearm access, and a restraining order that did not eliminate perceived risk. The strongest reported investigative breakthrough came from a spouse's observation and the recovery of discarded planning material, while the case remained dependent on circumstantial evidence.
AI Case Q&A
What early signals mattered most?
The most important reported early signals were Gregory's control over Jessica's contacts and movements, concealment of his marriage, threats toward people who showed interest in her, harassment after she tried to leave, hacking of her account, threats to Patrick, firearm access, and the need for a restraining order.
Which clues helped connect the case?
The relationship history, Jessica's reports, saved screenshots, phone records, Gregory's alleged threats, the missing surveillance drive, Dimora's observation of the notebook, the torn pages found in the office trash, and the fourth shell casing reportedly found under Gregory's ashtray helped connect the case.
Which evidence types appeared strongest?
According to the source, the strongest evidence was circumstantial: the notebook pages describing the house and crime preparations, the forensic match between the recovered shell casing and a casing from the scene, documented communications and phone records, Jessica's testimony, and evidence of prior threats. The murder weapon and direct scene evidence were reportedly never found.
Witness / Eyewitness Statements
Jessica reportedly told police that Gregory had threatened and harassed her and Patrick and later testified about their relationship. Dimora Sanchez reportedly told police that she had seen a house plan and action notes in Gregory's office; at trial, she later expressed uncertainty and questioned whether Gregory could kill anyone. Max Delasard reported that Patrick did not answer a courier or repeated calls. The neighbor reportedly expressed resentment toward Patrick but had an alibi confirmed by several people.
How did follow-up reports change the understanding?
The initial focus included a hostile neighbor and the possibility that Gregory could not be prosecuted because no direct evidence linked him to the home. Dimora's report changed the investigation by prompting the search that reportedly recovered the planning pages and shell casing. The later trial introduced disputes over the search, the interpretation of the notes, and Dimora's changed testimony, but the jury still convicted Gregory.
What remained unclear?
The source leaves unresolved the exact location of the murder weapon, the identity of any professional who allegedly hacked Jessica's account, the precise method used to enter the home, the fate of the missing surveillance drive, and whether Gregory personally carried out every described preparatory act. The account also relies heavily on indirect evidence and contains variant spellings of several names.