EAST COVENTRY TWP., PA– The woman who was found dead in a Chester County pond, tied to a cinder block, has been identified.
Ryan Stevyn Benjamin, 24, was found in swimming hole on Pigeon Creek in East Coventry Township, Pa. on Monday morning.
Benjamin, of Pottstown, was identified by the description of her released earlier this week, including tattoos, jewelry, and other physical features, the Chester County District Attorney’s office said.
She worked as a pre-kindergarten teacher, and was a graduate of Juniata College.
The DA’s office said the search for whoever dumped her body continues.
“The person who dumped Ryan’s body in the water knows what they did, and knows police are closing in,” District Attorney Tom Hogan said in a statement. “Every moment that this person stays on the run makes it look worse. This individual should come in to authorities now.”
Benjamin’s body was found by a fisherman around 11:15 a.m. Monday in the water off of Zieber Road in East Coventry Township.
Children had been swimming in the pond on Sunday afternoon, local residents told police, so it appears the body was left in the water after that time.
“They dumped the body in water that was only four feet deep, so the body was clearly going to be found relatively quickly,” Hogan said earlier this week.
Investigators believe she was dead when she was placed in the pond, saying there was no water in her lungs, indicating that she did not drown.
Her exact cause of death, however, is not yet known. She had no gunshot wounds or blunt force trauma, Hogan said, and there were no signs of strangulation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Tom Goggin at 610-344-6866.
