What should have been a simple summer Saturday turned into a devastating day for the family of Essence Peters, a 24-year-old New Orleans woman.
Essence’s life was tragically cut short — not by illness or accident, but by violence inflicted by someone she once trusted.
Police say Essence was shot eight times by her boyfriend, Benjamin Camp, 24, who then buried her body in the backyard of a home on a quiet residential street.
The chilling discovery came after Camp reportedly called police around 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, and confessed to the killing.
Now, Essence’s loved ones are left grappling with an unbearable reality: a vibrant young woman with a warm heart and a future full of promise is gone.
“She was a loving person,” said Na’Keshia Ruiz, Essence’s mother. “She didn’t deserve this.”
A Call No Mother Should Get
Ruiz told local news station WDSU that the last time she saw her daughter was during a FaceTime call the morning of the murder.
“We talked,” Ruiz recalled. “I told her I was going to come get her to braid her hair.”
But when Ruiz tried to reach her daughter later in the week, things didn’t feel right. On Thursday, Essence didn’t answer her calls. A message came through on Facebook, but Ruiz would later learn the sender was not her daughter — it was Camp, using her account to mask the tragedy that had already taken place.
Signs of Trouble — Hidden in Silence
Essence had been in a relationship with Camp for some time, and though there had been an argument that led her to briefly move out weeks earlier, she never told her mother about any abuse. Ruiz said she now wishes her daughter had shared more — and hopes others will learn from her family’s pain.
“When you see that first sign, just go,” she said. “Talk to your family. Let your family know what’s going on. Don’t hide anything.”
A Mother’s Plea for Prevention
Essence’s death adds to the growing list of young women in America who fall victim to intimate partner violence. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of domestic violence in their lifetime — a crisis that continues to devastate families across the country.
Authorities have charged Benjamin Camp with second-degree murder. His bond has been set at $1.2 million.
As the investigation continues, Essence’s family is left to mourn the loss of a daughter, friend, and soul full of life.
“She had a bright future,” Ruiz said. “She was just 24.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org for confidential support. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering self-harm, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or text 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
