On the night of Saturday, May 18, 2025, the quiet of a Mesa, Arizona neighborhood was broken by a 911 call that escalated into gunfire. It started around 7:45pm when 72 year old Hazel Benson called police upset that her 38 year old son was playing video games too loudly inside their home near Hilly Road and Main Street. Officers responded and spoke with both Hazel and her son, telling her that he had legal standing to live there. After that first call, the son left the house for a walk to cool off. Welcome to Love and Heartbreak to Homicide. We’re Kai’s AI co hosts here with another midweek mini case that Kai researched and wrote. Kai’s off for the rest of the week due to school starting, so we’re reporting on mini cases but we still have the same focus, keeping the victim at the center of the story. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to follow or subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode. And remember, you can join us on Patreon for free at, uh patreon.com loveandmurder where even free members get extra perks. But if you really want the full experience, bonus episodes ad free listening case extras and Kai’s new Deadly Duos series, sign up for one of our bonus tiers@patreon.com loveandmurder now let’s get back to your midweek mini case. Neighbors later said there had never been any signs of trouble in the Benson home before. Hazel Benson was a 72 year old grandmother who was described as quiet and unassuming. That night, when her son returned from his walk, Hazel allegedly blocked him from coming back inside the home. Her son reportedly lunged toward her with his hands in fists at his waistline. Hazel later told police that was the moment she raised a handgun and fired.

Why did she even have a gun if it was her son? Did he hurt her before? Did she fear for her safety? I don’t understand why the gun was even in her hand.

The sound of the shots carried through the neighborhood. A neighbor, Chris Hammond, said.

I heard three gunshots. Boom boom boom. It seemed like three in a row.

Her son was hit in the stomach. Wounded, he managed to stumble outside the house. After the gunfire, Hazel made a second 911 call telling dispatchers she had shot at her son. Police found her son outside and transported him to the hospital. His injuries were later reported as non life threatening and police confirmed he was expected to recover after being hospitalized. Hazell told police that she actually wasn’t sure if she fired once or multiple times. She also admitted to officers that she tossed the gun into a nearby canal, uh, after firing it. Hazel was arrested that night. She now faces charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and discharge of a firearm within city limits. And, um, that’s all that’s been reported on this case so far. What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments below. Because this case was so short, Kai decided to give us another short case to report on. So let’s get into It On Monday, August 18, 2025, the quiet of Blaine street in Caldwell, Idaho was broken by a frantic 911 call around 4pm A teenage boy had run from his home in terror and told dispatchers his father had just killed his sister and tried to turn the gun on him. Officers with the Caldwell Police Department raced over to the house where they found 18 year old hope Cornish dead inside. The victim, known to family and friends as Onyx, was remembered as fiery, stylish and and deeply kind. Her mother, Crystal Thompson, said she was a fiery one who loved heavy metal. Her favorite bands Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for My Valentine. She had a strong personality, wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions and shared her love of music with her mom. Onyx had struggled with substance use in the past but had been sober for more than a year. She was working at a Wendy’s in Caldwell, had started a new relationship and um, was protective of her younger brothers. Her aunt Deborah Duran said she was a great kid. 18 is just too young to be taken. Her father, 51 year old Delbert Cornish, was her adoptive parent. In court records, he admitted he had been planning a murder suicide since September 2024. He had purchased a 9 millimeter handgun with the intent to kill his three children and himself. Delbert told detectives that he was depressed, worn down by living with his brother, who he claimed belittled his children by calling them loser and pedophile. His twisted reasoning was that his kids wouldn’t be able to live without him that morning. Delbert drank several shots of alcohol around 9am later he went to Onyx’s bedroom and when she suddenly opened the door, he panicked and shot her in the head. He told police he watched her gasp for breath for 20 minutes before she d. Officers later found her body with a pride flag draped over it, which Delbert said he placed as quote, an honour to her, believing it would be meaningful. Her cat had also been shot dead. When his teenage son LC came home from school, Delbert told him point blank that he had killed his sister and ordered him to go check on her. When the boy refused and tried to leave, Delbert fired a shot into the floor, blocked the door and pointed the gun at him. In an act of bravery, LC wrestled the gun away, dropped it and ran out of the house to call 91 1. Police arrived minutes later and found Onyx dead from a gunshot wound. They also found the handgun on the couch without its magazine, which was lying on the floor near the door, exactly as LC had described. They discovered a murder suicide note from Delbert, along with angry notes addressed to his brother. Delbert had already fled the house in his brother’s car by about 6:30 that evening. Police used license plate reader cameras to track him, locating him at his ex girlfriend’s house in Mountain Home. He was arrested around 7pm without incident and booked into the Elmore County Jail before being transferred to Canyon County. In an interview. That’s when he confessed to the killing, repeatedly telling detectives he was guilty. Delbert is now facing charges of murder, aggravated assault, attempted murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday, August 20 and is being held without bond. His next hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2025 in Canyon County. Crystal is left with a grief that words cannot contain.

She said at one point in time, I loved this man, but I’m just so angry my daughter’s dead. What the hell?

She also admitted she hasn’t been able to tell her youngest son, who has autism, about what happened, unsure, um, how he could process it. Canyon County Coroner Jennifer Crawford said, our.

Hearts go out to the family and loved ones affected by this heartbreaking loss.

And that’s two cases of parents being absolute horrors. What are your thoughts on these cases? Let us know in the comments below. We also want to point out that both cases are still ongoing, so everything said here was alleged. Thank you for staying with us all the way to the end. Don’t forget to join us over in the Patreon to get bonus episodes and more like behind the scenes clips. Patreon.com loveandmurder we’ll see you in the next case.