Inset: Raylin Benzie (Facebook). Background: The ilani Casino Hotel in Ridgefield, Wash., where Raylin Benzie allegedly drugged and killed a man (Google Maps).
In Washington state, a woman’s plan to lure and rob a wealthy man at a casino hotel took a tragic turn when she ended up killing him after substituting fentanyl for her forgotten “date rape drugs,” according to police reports.
Raylin Benzie, 34, allegedly texted a friend in distress on the morning of October 4, admitting to the murder of the 38-year-old victim. The message, as revealed in court documents and reported by local ABC station KATU, read: “I PANICKED AND DID SOMETHING DUMB.”
In further messages, Benzie expressed desperation, stating, “I NEED OUT OF HERE PLEASE,” and, “I COULD GO AWAY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.”
The incident unfolded at the ilani Casino Hotel located on the Cowlitz Reservation in Ridgefield. The victim, referred to as “Arslan,” had allegedly agreed to give Benzie $1,200 in casino winnings in exchange for sex in a hotel room. Tragically, his body was discovered in a 10th-floor room on the afternoon of October 5.
Authorities were alerted, and investigators reviewed surveillance footage to determine who had entered and exited the room, according to KATU. The footage reportedly captured Benzie, dressed in leopard print, entering the room with Arslan. She was seen leaving alone approximately an hour later.
Two hours after her initial departure, Benzie allegedly returned to the room with another man, staying for about seven minutes before leaving together. Police later identified and interviewed both Benzie and the man as part of their ongoing investigation into the events that transpired.
Benzie allegedly denied having anything to do with Arslan”s death, telling detectives, “No, no, no, he was f—ing snoring… that’s weird… that doesn’t make sense.” The man she was caught on video with, however, admitted to being told by Benzie that she “drugged” Arslan and that “he probably OD’d and he’s probably going to die,” according to the affidavit.
A trio of individuals spoke to police during the investigation and said Benzie was acting weird after being interviewed by cops.
“The way she was reacting, I think she did something to cause this man to lose his life,” one of them said, according to KATU and the affidavit.
A woman who recently met Benzie told cops she had voiced interest in wanting to meet up with wealthy men to seduce and rob them. A man who knows her said she usually uses gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, aka GHB, and other substances as “date rape drugs” on men, but for this victim she told the man that she forgot to bring them with her, according to the affidavit, so she allegedly used fentanyl instead.
Benzie was arrested on Oct. 31 and charged with first-degree murder, controlled substances homicide, placing poison in a drink, first-degree robbery and second-degree theft. Her bail was set at $10 million and she was still behind bars Wednesday with a trial date set for Jan. 26, 2026.
