16-year-old charged for murder, burning of pregnant Melvindale woman

(WJBK) - A 16-year-old was taken into custody, in connection with the murder of a pregnant Melvindale woman and charges could come Tuesday.

The teen suspect is being held at the DPD Juvenile Detention Center, meanwhile, a 23-year-old male suspect is also in police custody. Investigators say they anticipate also charging him with the murder of 29-year-old Amanda Benton.

She was five months pregnant, found burned and beaten to death in an abandoned house Friday in southwest Detroit.

Her family held a vigil Sunday in the same area where she was found. The mother went missing after last week, her car was discovered in southwest Detroit and her purse was found a few blocks away.

Benton had four sons and was expecting her first daughter. Her family says she was struggling with addiction was trying to get help.

"She had one of the biggest hearts of anybody that I know," said Tom Benton, her father. "She tried to get help, she was denied time after time after time. She kept getting turned away from these treatments because she didn't have the money. They wouldn't accept her insurance."

"We are not going to change this world if we don't come together," said Florine Benton, her mother. "We have to unite. We've got to take our streets back.

The  Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says that that 16-year-old suspect may be formally charged and arraigned tomorrow.

Officials say they had not responded to the couple's house before and are working to gather as much evidence as possible to support their case.

"Our job is to make sure we have all our evidence collected," Wickersham said. "So that when this goes to trial we get our conviction."