BURLEY, Idaho — The Burley man accused of murdering four people across two counties in July has pleaded guilty to all four charges in a shocking courtroom confession where he blamed voices in his head for the killings.
Benjamin Naylor appeared in chains before District Judge Blaine Cannon as part of a plea agreement that removes the death penalty in exchange for his full confession to the murders.
Naylor told the court he was suffering from a schizophrenic break and was off his medication at the time of the killings.
Warning: The following content contains disturbing details
Naylor said a voice in his head convinced him that each of his victims was part of a conspiracy involving child abduction, murder, and cannibalism.
WATCH: Benjamin Naylor confesses to killing four people across two Idaho counties after hearing voices during a schizophrenic break
His first victim was Dennis Mix in Minidoka County. Naylor said on July 5, he stopped at a local gas station for food, which triggered his delusions.
"I got a couple of burritos, but one of them was beef, and it tasted weird— smelled bad and tasted wrong, and they told me, in my head, that it was human meat and that it was being processed in the old Conners building," Naylor said.
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He spotted Mix sitting in his car and returned later that evening when Mix was still there. The voice in his head confirmed Mix was part of the conspiracy.
"Because I thought he was a sentinel for what was going on there, I went over to his vehicle and shot him in the head," Naylor admitted.
Still in his delusional state, Naylor said on July 8, he was in the Rupert Post Office when the voice told him a Hispanic family with children were also part of the conspiracy.
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"The voice in my head said that those children were in trouble and that they wanted me to go and shoot the parents and take the kids to the emergency room in Rupert," Naylor said.
He followed the family but lost track of their vehicle. When he pulled into an alley, the voice directed him to the home of Angelica Medina. He knocked on the door and began questioning her at gunpoint.
"There was something in the way she was — probably because she was afraid— because I had a pistol. It seemed like she was lying to me. And when I asked the voice in my head, he said 'No, it's her. It's her that you came for," Naylor recalled.
Naylor also confessed to killing Kelly and Donna Jenks in Burley during his schizophrenic episode.
"What I was told by my disease— or whatever that was that was in my head— was that there were seven people in that house. Four males and three females, and that they were sitting around the living room, smoking dope, and that they had been responsible for the murder and butchering of a bunch of children that were then put into the food supply," Naylor added.
A sentencing hearing has been set for March 9 in Cassia County. Naylor will remain in custody until then.
Statement from McCord Larsen, Cassia County Prosecuting Attorney:
"This plea agreement represents justice for the victims and their families. While no outcome can undo the devastating loss these families have endured, this resolution ensures that Benjamin Roy Naylor will never walk free again. The victims' families showed tremendous courage throughout this process, and their input was critical in reaching this agreement.
By securing consecutive life sentences without parole, we have achieved certainty and finality while sparing the families from years of trial proceedings and appeals. I want to thank the law enforcement officers and investigators from both counties whose tireless work on this case made this outcome possible. Our office remains committed to supporting the victims' families as they continue to heal from these unimaginable losses."
Statement from Lance Stevenson, Minidoka County Prosecuting Attorney:
"This resolution brings a measure of closure to an unspeakable tragedy that has impacted our community deeply. The collaboration between our offices has been essential in achieving this outcome. Prosecutor Larsen and I have been focused on accountability for the defendant and justice for the victims and the community, and we are pleased with this outcome."
Judge Cannon ordered a pre-sentence investigation report to be prepared by the Idaho Department of Corrections, and the sentencing was scheduled for March 9, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. in Courtroom One of the Cassia County Judicial Center in Burley.
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