The first episode of Netflix's new true crime documentary series, “Worst Ex Ever,” covers the case of violent criminal Benjamin Foster, who held his ex-girlfriend hostage for three days.
Netflix is a leading producer of true crime documentaries, which often focus on gruesome murders or bizarre crimes.
This time, the streamer has taken the unusual step of teaming up with Blumhouse, a production company best known for horror films such as Jordan Peele's Get Out, M. Night Shyamalan's Split and M3GAN, for “Worst Ex Ever.” Each episode of “Worst Ex Ever” focuses on a different perpetrator.
In the first episode, Foster's pattern of behavior became clear. A woman named Jaimee, who dated Foster for about two years, explained how he drugged her, shaved her head, held her captive in her Las Vegas home for two weeks, and threatened to kill her.
She escaped and fled to a hospital after convincing him that they needed food. In the documentary, she said she was treated at the hospital for “seven broken ribs, two black eyes, bruises all over her body, cuts all over her body” and other injuries.
As stated in the docuseries, Foster was charged with kidnapping, assault and domestic violence. He was released from custody in October 2021 and moved to Grants Pass in southwest Oregon.
In the second half of the episode, bartender Justine Siemens recounted how she met Foster while they were working at a bar in Grants Pass. She reported him to her boss in December 2022 after he asked her for a clean urine sample, and he was fired.
In late January 2023, Foster hid in Siemens' house and beat her for three days, causing her a brain injury.
In the documentary series, she said: “Torture is an understatement for what I went through.”
Siemens was discovered by a friend who called an ambulance, but Foster had already fled the property and was on the run for a week.
Benjamin Foster committed suicide in February 2023
A photo of Benjamin Foster as in “Worst Ex Ever”. Netflix
Foster used dating apps to trick unsuspecting victims into helping him escape from authorities in southwest Oregon. Police offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.
On January 31, 2023, according to the documentary series, Foster murdered an elderly man, Richard Barron, and his caregiver, Donald Griffith, in their home, which was 214 meters from Siemens' residence.
Foster was found in Siemens' home that same day by authorities after they obtained a search warrant for the house.
During the standoff, police attempted to lure Foster out using tear gas and drones, but quickly realized he was hiding under the house.
CBS reported that Foster “burrowed deep under the house.” He committed suicide and officers had to rip up the floorboards to rescue him.
