PHOENIX (AZFamily) -- The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has confirmed to Arizona's Family that investigators have submitted charges against two men in connection with the high-profile murder case of Benjamin Anderson in 2021.
MCSO has identified the suspects as Jaden M. Kaufman and Richard D. Kaufman.
According to the sheriff's office, the case is actively being reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. While authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific charges, sources tell True Crime Arizona that prosecutors are pursuing different charges against each suspect.
Anderson's body was found burning in the desert near I-17 and Table Mesa Road on New Year's Eve in 2021. His cell phone was found in a Glendale canal about three months after his death, but that detail wasn't confirmed by MCSO until last year.
"We heard and later confirmed that the phone was found in the canal in Glendale," Ben's best friend, Dan Stahoviak, said in a September 2024 interview. "It was found three months after the murder occurred and was found by what we believe to be a fisherman."
In January 2024, sheriff's officials told True Crime Arizona's Briana Whitney that detectives had their eye on possible suspects connected to the murder, but remained very tight-lipped about the case.
Anderson was an openly gay man, and MCSO previously said deputies were aware of rumors that his case may be related to the killing of Bernardo Pantaleon, who was also gay. However, investigators have said there is no obvious relation between the two.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.