Kaitlyn Bennett survived a brutal attack by Charles Warren – Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda recounts the case

A map showing where Kaitlyn Bennet was found, after surviving an attack by Charles Warren.
Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda on Investigation Discovery features the case of Kaitlyn Bennet, who survived a brutal attack by Charles Warren

Kaitlyn Bennett survived a brutal rape and attack by Charles Warren. The latest episode of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda on Investigation Discovery explores this distressing case.

At around 11:00 p.m. on September 12, 1977, a family drove on Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in hopes of hearing the ghosts of minors from the 1800s.

Instead, they encountered a naked, blood-covered woman running in the road before she collapsed.

That woman was later identified as 20-year-old prostitute Kaitlyn Bennett. 

She told investigators that as she was standing on a corner, she was approached by a red-haired, white man in a white pickup truck with a camper shell.

Bennett got into the vehicle after they arranged to have sexual intercourse. 

The man told her that his wife was at his house, and he was going to drive to a nearby park for privacy.

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When they got to a secluded area on Gold Camp Road, he pulled over and told her to get in the back where there was more room.

She obliged.

As she was climbing into the back of the truck, she was struck on the head and lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she was laying naked against a large rock about 100-feet down from a ravine, far from where she was last located. 

Bennett had been stabbed six times, brutally raped, thrown from a cliff, and a chunk of her hair had been chopped off with a knife.

She was left for dead but managed to survive.

Colorado Springs conducted an investigation and determined the assailant was a plumber because of the large, professional tools he had in the back of his truck.

Further investigation led them to Warren, who was 23 at the time and had no criminal record; therefore, police officials did not have a photo of him.

Police got a court order to snap a picture of Warren at his family’s plumbing business.

After Bennett identified Warren as her assailant, police obtained a warrant to search his home. 

In his bedroom, behind the second drawer of his dresser was the victim’s hair inside a plastic bag.

Police placed Warren under arrest for kidnapping, attempted murder, and rape.

After a six-hour interrogation, Warren confessed to the crime. 

He said it was a sexual fantasy of his to have sex with women in their own blood while they’re dying. 

Warren also admitted that he would awake in the middle of the night and touch the victim’s hair. 

When he found out that Bennett survived the attack, he said next time he’ll make sure she’s dead, according to police.

Officials said he was going to plead guilty to the charges, but after a panel of psychiatrist found him to be insane, he was sent to a Colorado state mental hospital.

Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda — The Case That Haunts Me, airs at 9:00 p.m. on Investigation Discovery.

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Lydia Crow
Lydia Crow
3 years ago

God bless the family who found Katie! I would like to send Katie a virtual hug, and ask her if she’s sharing her thoughts, and strength tips to other women….I survived being shot and buried….we are here for a reason….

Bobbi Craig
Bobbi Craig
3 years ago
Reply to  Lydia Crow

Lydia, it’s amazing that you survived!!! And also Katie…how did she climb up that cliff?!? Wow!!

Tracy
Tracy
3 years ago

She was so brave bless her, he got what he deserved & thanks to her he won’t be able to do this to anyone else.

victoria
victoria
2 years ago

“have sex with women in their own blood while they’re dying.” That has to be one of the most disturbing things relevant to rape that I have ever heard.
Warren was sent to a mental hospital. I wonder if he ever got out. I cant help but envision, what if Warren’s wife or another woman in his family was in a traumatic accident (let’s say a car reck), would Warren take advantage of that and fulfil his fantasies once again to his own family? It’s creepy.

Anonymous
Anonymous
2 years ago

Wow. He saved dozens of victims. This is great Police work. Most serial killers start in their early twenties, late teens. This guy would have kept on killing. Shows the the green river killer was able to continue because of the incompetence of the Police in his state.
As for the blood, somehow blood had become sexualized to him. Probably something that he experienced when he was younger. And once something becomes sexualized it is very hard to desexualize it.

John
John
11 months ago
Reply to  Anonymous

I was looking this case up as well to see if the POS is still in the Colorado mental institution @pueblo and cannot find anything about him. It would put him at around 69/70 but am a little curious why they never announced his length of sentencing other than to say he was ordered to serve it in a mental institution instead of prison.

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