Human Remains Found in Desperate Search for Missing Mom, Daughter

And I didn't really understand the. gravity of the situation until probably. later on. Um in in the coming weeks and whenever I. realized she wasn't coming back. More. human remains have been found out in. Tennessee and they could connect back to. a missing mother and her 2-year-old. daughter. As the investigation widens, the family of Jennifer and Adriana Wix. is calling for police to pay special. attention to these new developments. We. are going to be sitting down with a. retired police sergeant to talk about. what is next in this investigation and. how detectives could potentially connect. all this back to a case that has haunted.

a community and a family for more than. 20 years. Welcome to Sidebar presented. by Law & Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. [Music]. On March 25th, 2004, a man named Joey. Benton told Robertson County, Tennessee. deputies that his girlfriend, 21-year-old Jennifer Wix and her. 2-year-old daughter, Adriana, were. missing. Claimed he last seen the pair. get into a white sedan at a gas station. in Cross Plains and that they were never.

seen again. Now, Wix's family never bought into the. idea that Wix would have just gotten. into an apparently random vehicle. leaving behind critical supplies like. diapers and a car seat and leave their. family and life behind, but family. members, they have always been. suspicious and always been suspicious, it seems, of Benton, saying that he and. Jennifer, they often fought. Jennifer's. mother has said that she last heard from. her daughter on a phone call from the. Benton home. She said Jennifer was upset. saying that there was a heated argument. with Benton and his parents. 2-year-old.

Adriana could reportedly be heard crying. in the background. And Jennifer was. supposed to call her mother back later, get an update on what was going on. That call never came. Since then, the. TBI, the Tennessee Bureau of. Investigation and the Robertson County. Sheriff's Office, they have worked on. the case. Law enforcement, family. members, they've organized search. parties, they've hung flyers with. Jennifer and Adriana's faces on them. They even did a search of the Benton. property, but no one was named as a. suspect. The case went cold. In 2013, the Wix case was reclassified as a.

homicide according to the Tennessean, but the problem was evidence connected. to this case was sparse. There wasn't a. lot. Casey Robinson, this is Jennifer's. younger sister, this is Adriana's aunt, she has been pushing to get the pair's. story out there for years. She has been. on top of this for so long. She has even. started her own podcast to try to make. sense of what happened. Now, I had the. privilege, the chance to speak with. Casey, to meet her at CrimeCon this past. year in Denver and I afterwards I had to.

do an interview with her. I had to bring. some attention to the story at least to. our audience here on Sidebar and we did. an and we did an episode of Sidebar with. her at the beginning of October to learn. more about Jennifer and Adriana's. disappearance and what was going on in. their lives before they vanished. What. is the first thing that comes to your. mind when you think about Jennifer and. you think about little Adriana? Um well, the first thing that comes to. my mind is just heartbreak.

Um. there's just that big hole missing in. our family, uh missing in myself. So, I mean, the unfortunately, the first. thought is that. Um and then trailing. right behind that is uh Jennifer was my. big sister and I looked up to her in. every way possible. She was. a straight '90s kid um and just like my. idol as a a little girl. We were very. close and so whenever I think about her,

of course, all of the good memories uh. are are part of that thought process, too. And Adriana, I mean, she was just. two whenever she disappeared. So, we. didn't get a lot of time with her, but. um. now as a 37-year-old woman looking back, like I I just think of her um. I took care of her a lot. as as a young girl. I helped my sister. out with her a lot. And so now, whenever.

I think about Adriana, I think of her as. a daughter. Uh but she would be 20. something years old today and so. um she's kind of frozen in time as that. 2-year-old for me, but I mean, Adriana. was perfect in every way. Just the. cutest little. totdler angel. uh baby that ever existed. So, a lot of good memories and just I miss. them every day and um it's hard to wake. up and do that every day and miss. someone and not know where they are.

And so it's just kind of whenever I. think of them, it's just kind of a. mixture of all of those things. together. Now, obviously, this is a. story that we wanted to bring to you and. the reason that we can do that is not. only because of the amazing support that. we get from all of you out there, but. also from our incredible sponsor, Upside. This is the free app that gets. you cash back when you buy daily. essentials like gas, groceries, food. So, I pump my gas, I can use Upside. I. go out to lunch, I can use Upside. I get. something at a convenience store, I can. use Upside. And why wouldn't I want to. get cash back when I do all these.

things, right? This is real, actual cash. back. It's money that appears in your. Upside app that you transfer right into. your bank account. you claim an offer for whatever you're. buying in Upside, you pay as usual using. a debit or credit card, you follow the. steps on the app, you get paid. To find. out how much you can earn, click the. link in the description to download. Upside or scan the QR code on screen, but make sure to use our promo code. sidebar because you'll get an extra 25. cents back on every gallon on your first. tank of gas. According to Casey, Joey. Benton has apparently told different. stories over the last couple of decades.

One where he claims that he dropped the. pair off at this local gas station, saw. them get into a white car and then there. seems to be another where he claims that. he saw Jennifer with a friend that he. didn't know. Now, Casey claims, you. know, despite allegedly knowing about. his involvement with her sister, the. rumors that he was somehow involved. here, she spoke with Benton in April of. last year. Yeah, I talked to him for the. first time ever in uh April of 2024. So, this was after the girls' 20-year.

anniversary of their disappearance. Uh. there was a big raid at their family's. house and we thought potentially that it. had to do with Jennifer and Adriana, but. it didn't. There were some other things. going on uh with his dad and illegal. weapons and things like that and he. received 40 something plus charges um. from that raid at their house. And then. shortly after that, I talked to Joey for. the first time. I I told him, you know, um can you and I talk? I just want to. know my sister better. You were the last. person that was really around her that.

knew her probably better than anyone. else at that time. Uh so, can we talk? And he said, "Sure.". Uh so, we were on the phone for over an. hour and I got the opportunity, you. know, to ask him about their. relationship and he. said that they loved each other, that. they had plans to have another baby, to. get married, uh that he really loved. them. And I asked him, you know, about. the last days leading up to their. disappearance and I asked him if all of. that was true about him taking them to.

the gas station and dropping them off in. the white car and all of that. And he. said that yes, that all of that was. true. So, we ended that first conversation. He. was super cordial on the phone, said. that we could talk again. He would he. would love to talk anytime. Um but I. left after that first conversation, it. left me kind of feeling like. like maybe we have this all wrong. He. really did love them and he was very. nice to me. Like maybe we just never. gave him the opportunity to talk and so. that was our first conversation and it.

left me feeling. that kind of way, like kind of like. maybe we're looking at the wrong people. Maybe she did get in this white Ford. car. Maybe he's telling the truth. Um so, that was our first conversation, but I talked to him again in July of. last year and it was a completely. different conversation. Um. They. they his family was going through a lot. of things because of that raid and so. they were kind of turning on each other, if you will. bit. Um Joey and his other.

family members had turned his dad in for. some material that they had found on the. computer, these illegal weapons and. things. Um. one of the charges that his dad received. was sexual exploitation of a minor. And um that was one of the things that. they turned him in for. And so because. of all these disagreements and the. tension in their family, um Joey decided to interrupt a meeting. that my family had with the district. attorney at the time and he came forward.

and said that he was ready to tell law. enforcement and my family everything. And he. did tell law enforcement and he sat. face-to-face with my mom. uh in town in Springfield, which is. where Jennifer and Adriana disappeared. from. Uh Springfield and Cross Plains we. kind of use interchangeably because they. lived on the line of those two cities. But he met with my mom face-to-face. I. was on speakerphone. This was my second. conversation with him. And he said that.

the gas station story, everything that. they had told and had been telling for. the last 20 years was a lie. And that Jennifer and Adriana actually. died at their house. uh on March 25th, 2004. So, completely different conversation. from the first one that we had in April. Did he explain the circumstances about. how. she died? >> Mhm. Yeah, yeah, he did tell a version uh. which I'll refer to as another version.

uh and and potentially another. well-thought-out lie like the lie that. they told for 20 years. Um so, he said. that whenever he got home from work on. March 25th, 2004, that Jennifer and. Adriana were already dead. And um. he did tell what happened to Jennifer. and Adriana, but that's not a story that. we believe. uh and it's not a story that law. enforcement uh I prove or corroborate in. any kind of way. Um and so. we're not putting that information out.

publicly right now what he said happened. because we don't want to. we don't want another story to be. believed that's not true. We just want. to get down to the truth of it. So we're. not going to share those details and. help him in any way, but he did also. give a location for. uh Jennifer and Adriana's remains, which. was not in his family's property. He gave a location that's local to. Robertson County and he did admit to. being one of the people responsible for.

disposing of their remains uh and not. reporting their deaths. Um but the location that he gave law. enforcement has checked into, they have. searched multiple times, and. Jennifer and Adriana's remains were not. found. So, um there was no um. success in finding them from that. So, I. don't know if that location is a false. location, uh if he was trying to. um you know, deflect and and send them. somewhere else, I'm not sure. Now we.

have to talk about the latest. We're. going to talk about the latest. developments in the investigation, including what was just found that may. change the course of this whole story. and where detectives go from here. So, for that, I want to bring in retired. police sergeant Troy Helman. Troy, thank. you so much for taking the time. You. know, there are a lot of myths around. missing persons cases and law. enforcement and how it works, and I. think there's always speculation that it. gets brushed to the wayside, they forget.

about it. What's your opinion in terms. of cold cases and how police either. prioritize them or stay on top of them? Uh well, the sign behind me reads cold. cases matter, so I'm I'm a huge advocate. having served about 10 years in cold. case homicide. Uh we work very closely. with the cold case missing persons unit. in our department. Sometimes in other. departments they're combined. Um but it. yeah, it's it's super important and uh. unfortunately sometimes when you get.

different leadership come in, they don't. see the value um and they divert. resources to other other areas. But then. you see other leaders come in and say, "You know what, this is important. These. are These are missing people. These are. homicide victims, and we need to really. concentrate on this, and it's. important.". How have investigative techniques. changed since 2004? Um massive. Uh DNA. continues to get better. uh day-by-day. There's uh M-Vac. There's.

uh forensic investigative genetic. genealogy. Uh there's familial DNA. searching. Uh there's just all kinds of. techniques. Uh and it just day-by-day. it's getting getting better. Um but. there's also you have to use good. old-fashioned police work and kind of uh. mix those in. If there are no bodies, what do police do to further the. investigation? Yeah, definitely having. having a body um is. optimal um because the body typically is.

the part of the scene that tells you. um kind of the the nature of of death, what happened. Um and then if you you need you need a. scene, a physical scene where the death. happened. If you don't have either of. those things, it's kind of an uphill. battle. It doesn't mean it's not. solvable. It doesn't mean the truth is. not going to come out, um but it's just. it's it's a it's a very very difficult. investigation. Um are you surprised there's not more. information, not more answers right now. in this case? Although I will tell you.

uh we are going to talk about what the. latest development is, but are you. surprised maybe up until this point that. there hasn't been uh answers? Um no, we we ran into investigations. like this. Um people try to cover their. tracks. People try to hide information. Uh they think it's just going to go. away. Uh you have a very tenacious. family, which kudos to them, they've. been through hell. Um and trying to to move this. investigation forward. And I'm sure the. investigators have done the best job. they can. Um you know, I can't I don't. know know them, but I'm I'm sure.

um they have family members and they. treat this as if it were a family. member. So, um yeah yeah, it's just a. very difficult case. There's so many. twists and turns um that that I know. about, and then there there may be more. information that the. the authorities can't really release at. this point cuz it could really. jeopardize the case. So, according to the Tennessean, there. have been several searches of the Benton. property over the years, and that. includes draining a pond. Law. enforcement told the outlet that Benton.

has not been ruled out as a suspect, but. as we've said, there's been no arrests. or any kind of real activity, real. developments. But then we talk about. what happened in 2024. So, this is 20. years after both Jennifer and Adriana. were reported missing, and law. enforcement raided the Benton property. They ended up charging Joseph Frank. Benton Sr. with dozens of charges. They. found loads of weapons, explosives, disturbing material. We should note that. none of the charges were in direct.

connection with the missing person. turned homicide case, so the Wix case. But according to Casey, Benton Sr. spent. about a year in prison after some of the. charges against him were dropped. But. after his release, the strange part, it. seems he disappeared, too. And then in July of this year, there was. a shocking twist. A human leg was. discovered in a local creek, and DNA. confirmed it belonged to Joseph Benton.

Sr. Now, Benton Sr. and his family, they may or may not be connected to. Jennifer and Adriana's case, but the. question is, Troy, what does the. discovery of that leg mean for their. investigation? And then I will get into. what we have just learned. Well, I guess there's several ways to. look at it. One is a potential person of. of the three people that are believed to. know what happened to Jennifer and her. daughter, one of them now is deceased. and cannot cannot speak to it. So, that.

that kind of is a is a bad thing. for the investigation. Uh I kind of another challenge. Um but. the other way to look at it is. um. you don't know what happened to him, um. whether or not it was it was accidental. um or there was some homicidal activity. Um. you just you know, now you have two. people left and that property that that. kind of holds answers, I I would say. So, it just creates it helps, but it. also creates more more mysteries and.

kind of muddies the water a little bit. Well, let's talk about the big thing, okay? This is huge. Earlier this month, so this is just days after we spoke with. Casey here on Sidebar, a young boy discovered a skull in the. same area of that creek. According to Tennessee news outlet WSMV, the Wix family heard about this latest. discovery, headed out there themselves, finding even more remains. They released. this statement to WSMV, quote, "Earlier.

today, our family discovered additional. human remains at the Springfield. Greenway near Sulphur Fork Creek. Out of. respect for the ongoing investigation, we won't be sharing more about what was. found, and we'll leave that to. investigators. A young boy found a human. skull, something no child should ever. have to experience. We are pleading with. the Robertson County Sheriff's Office to. address the community regarding these. recent discoveries and our ongoing case. The remains are likely that of Joseph. Benton, one of the last individuals. known to see Jennifer and Adriana before.

their disappearance." Now, WSMV reports. that Springfield police, they brought. out an underwater dive team, K9 cadaver. units to search for more remains over. the several days. They didn't release. information about exactly what they. found, but the bones were apparently. sent to the medical examiner's office. for testing, and as of now, we're going. to be waiting on a identification. I. will read you this. This is a statement. that was sent directly to Law & Crime. The family wrote, "It is hard to put. into words what our family is feeling.

right now. This new discovery has. reopened deep wounds and brought back so. many emotions. We have endured over two. decades of heartbreak and uncertainty, living every day with unanswered. questions about what happened to. Jennifer and Adriana. The possibility. that these remains are connected to Joe. Benton, one of the last people to see. Jennifer and Adriana in 2004, both. terrifies and burdens us in ways words. cannot fully capture. We offer our. prayers to the forensic teams, law. enforcement, and all involved in this.

ongoing investigation. We pray for. truth, justice, and closure, not just. for our family, but for every person. affected by this case. We offer our gratitude and issue a plea. to the Robertson County Sheriff's. Office, the 19th Judicial District. Attorney's Office, the Tennessee Bureau. of Investigation, and every agency. involved. Please be transparent with the. community. Let the public know what has. been found, what forensic results. reveal, and how this may connect to the. disappearance of Jennifer and Adriana.

The community has a right to know and a. right to demand accountability. To the citizens of Springfield and all. those who support our family, Jennifer. and Adriana, we are grateful for the. continued prayers, kindness, and support. shown to us. Please be respectful, avoid. speculation, and allow investigators to. do their work. We hold onto hope that. one day we will have full answers and. justice for Jennifer and Adriana. From. the bottom of our hearts, thank you to. all who have endured this journey with. us, those who have remembered Jennifer. and Adriana, who ask questions, who.

continue to pray, who seek justice. We. will not falter. We will not rest until. truth prevails.". Troy, what is the likelihood that. investigators will share information. with the public? It it it's tough um. because if again, if they have their um. kind of eyes locked in on a on a. perpetrator, They don't want to spook the. perpetrator. So, it is important, yes. transparency and yes transparency with. the family.

But, it's kind of weighing that out with. with kind of what's the overall totality. of the investigation. It's It's just a. tough situation all the way around. You know, there's one thing to find a. limb of somebody. But, if it really is. the head of that person, now you're. talking about deceased individual who. may have answers. That is what. particularly seems devastating for the. family. Yeah, and and what's what's. interesting to me what kind of stuck out. is you had you found the bone and then. there were I think there were extensive.

search. efforts then and they didn't find. anything else. But, then you know, however many months later they find the. skull and and then more more bones and. remains. So, to me, you know, were those always. there and they just missed them or was. this something maybe placed you know, by. the by a perpetrator involved. So, you. just don't know. There's there's a lot. of unanswered questions. The difficulties of trying to determine.

identity from a human skull. Talk to me. about what some of the challenges there. I know they they can do a lot with DNA. and I know also with dental records tend. tend to be the the best. you know, kind of both those together to. try to positively identify. an individual. You know, Troy, when. Casey released her podcast called. Missing in Hush Town last year, she said. she started re-interviewing people about. this case with the help of producer. Jules Thor and Thor told WZTV.

we've had a ton of people come forward. and say, I wish I could tell you what I. know, but I'm too scared. Now, Troy, if. that is true, what do you make of that? Well, I I wish those people would do the right. thing and and come forward. I know here in Arizona we have silent. witness and it's something that. definitely helps investigators and then. it's kind of a win-win. So, that's always an avenue. I'm sure. they have maybe something similar a tip.

line an anonymous tip line. But, it yeah, those people that really need to clear. their conscience and and get this off. their chest and somehow. there there can be ways to get that. information to authorities without. necessarily putting themselves in harm's. way and or. kind of causing them them a major issue. If Jules and Casey had passed this. information along to law enforcement, could they compel these apparent these. alleged witnesses to come forward and. reveal what they know? It is It is.

hearsay. Certainly, I think the law enforcement. would go and and try to interview them. to see if they would talk. Um. you know, they have they have the right. obviously, you know, to to not to speak. So, it's just that that is difficult. Hopefully again, they would come forward. and and do the right thing and and tell. authorities what they know. And look, it may have been decades since. Jennifer and Adriana were reported. missing, but Casey, she still wants.

people to reach out to police, let them. know any details from that time no. matter how small that detail is. We're going to be putting the phone. number for Robertson County Sheriff's. Office up on the screen and in the. description for this episode. You can. also submit a tip by calling. 1-800-TBI-FIND. Troy, in your experience and your. expertise, given the details of this. case, a lot of different paths, a lot of. different ways this case has gone over. 20 years. Are you confident that we are.

in a position today where we may finally. get answers as to what happened to. Jennifer and Adriana? Absolutely. I I. mean, one of my kind of mantras is never. give up and that's kind of the spirit of. of cold case investigators. So, you just never know like we alluded. to who's going to come forward with. information whether or not the the. perpetrator ends up spilling the beans. so to speak to to somebody who comes. forward. or they may want to clear their. conscience. So, you just never know and. you just got to keep at it as as.

frustrating as it is. But, the family is doing 100% everything. right. I admire them. I can't even. imagine, you know, that what they've. been through. So, just keep at it. I. also do say, you know, keep keep praying. and karma karma is something that. usually I've seen in my my time that. usually comes back to people. Let's I. think that's a good place to end it. right there. We will see what happens. We will keep. an careful eye on it. Troy Helman, thank.

you so much for taking the time. Really. appreciate it. Thank you, Jesse. Appreciate it. And that is all we have. for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining. us and as always, please subscribe on. YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcast. You can follow me on X or Instagram. I'm. Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next. time. [Music].