June 21, 2022
(McKinney, Texas) – Ladarus Keys, 29, of DeSoto, was found guilty of Capital Murder by a jury and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, announced Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. “Detective Aaron Benzick’s relentless investigation brought a brutal murderer to justice. May this jury’s verdict bring some comfort to the victim’s family,” added Willis.
On November 7, 2017, Plano police officers responded to 911 calls reporting shots fired and found Christopher Collinvitti lying dead in the entrance of his garage. Collinvitti, an engineer at Raytheon, was shot twice in the head upon returning to his home. Investigators were left with no possible suspects after questioning neighbors and collecting evidence from the scene.
After two years, neighborhood surveillance video helped lead investigator Plano Police Department Detective Aaron Benzick identify a potential suspect vehicle. Rewards were increased and local news outlets re-ran the story in hopes of discovering new information, but to no avail. In December 2019, police matched shell casings from Collinvitti’s murder to shell casings left behind from other violent offenses in Dallas County that occurred within days of the 2017 murder.
By late 2020, Detective Benzick used this information in conjunction with social media, cell phone extractions, and witness interviews, to identify Ladarus Keys and two other suspects as responsible for the crime. None of the suspects knew the victim.
All three were charged with capital murder for killing Collinvitti during an attempt to rob him. A witness at trial identified Keys as the gunman. Keys has a lengthy criminal history, including a prison sentence for robbery. The other two suspects are being held in the Collin County jail awaiting trial.
The case was primarily investigated by the Plano Police Department, with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department and the Garland Police Department.
Judge Jennifer Edgeworth presided over the case and assessed the automatic punishment at life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Dewey Mitchell and Christina Skipper prosecuted the case, aided by District Attorney Investigator Sarah Putman and Victim Assistance Coordinator Casey Hendrix.
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