A Maryland man, Richard Bennaugh, shot and killed his roommate in Springdale after chasing him “like a dog.” He repeatedly shot his roommate over a petty argument about the location of the TV remote.
Now he will spend 50 years in state prison over a second-degree murder charge. The 40-year-old Bennaugh is also charged with evidence tampering after killing his 27-year-old roommate, Dominique Scott Hayes.
According to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office statement, the “sentence is about honoring the life of the victim and acknowledging the pain their family has endured.”
“While no sentence can erase the grief they feel, we hope this outcome brings them a measure of comfort. We are grateful to our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their dedication to this case, and we remain committed to working tirelessly to bring justice to victims and their families by holding offenders of violent crime responsible.”
A Maryland man, Richard Bennaugh, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for murdering his roommate, Dominique Scott-Hayes, in Prince George’s County after a dispute over a TV remote. He was convicted of second-degree murder, evidence tampering, and use of a handgun in a crime. pic.twitter.com/oWbKmjxgXL
— NTC Feed (@NTC_Feed) September 13, 2025
The accused killed his roommate in January 2024 in their Springdale residence, which he explained as self-defense and not murder. It’s believed that he waited hours before calling 911 as the officers reached the residence at 12:30 pm on January 10.
The accused stated the dispute happened hours ago. He explained that he fell asleep in the living room on the second floor, but was woken up at 5:30 am to find his roommate making lots of noise.
The roommate then demanded a remote location, which he ignored, but his roommate walked behind the couch, asking for it. The accused further mentions his roommate removing the blanket from his eyes and holding two large knives.
A Maryland man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for murdering his roommate after an argument over the location of the TV remote.
Richard Bennaugh, 40, was convicted of the second-degree murder of 27-year-old Dominique Scott Hayes in June. Bennaugh claimed he shot his… pic.twitter.com/UwqBDo2NyZ
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) September 14, 2025
Then he grabbed his weapon and aimed at his would-be assailant. His roommate backed away after seeing the gun while teasing him that Bennaugh would not fire at him.
Bennaugh replied, “There’s only one way to find out.” His roommate ran away while he opened fire at him. He explained he did not see blood but saw bullet holes and then went back to sleep. He wasn’t sure that he had hit his roommate.
However, according to the prosecutors, he repeatedly fired at Scott. After the verdict, Scott’s mother stated, ‘While I don’t have a lot of faith in the justice system, it did work this time.’ According to Fox affiliate WTTG, she said her son mattered, and he was chased down like a dog and murdered.
