Police find blood, bleach container at home of Carrollton man accused of killing girlfriend: affidavit

CARROLLTON, Texas - An arrest affidavit reveals more details about the investigation into a Carrollton man who is accused of killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a vehicle on the highway.

Carrollton man charged with murder

What we know:

On July 21, the North Texas Emergency Communications Center received a call about an unconscious person in a vehicle on the shoulder of southbound I-35 near the 2500 block of Carrollton.

Carrollton Police and Carrollton Fire-Rescue responded and found 41-year-old Vera Pitulic deceased within the vehicle. Detectives learned Pitulic had been reported missing to the Grapevine Police Department on July 20.

Police believe Pitulic was assaulted or killed much prior to when police found her body. She had numerous injuries on her body, including head injuries consistent with assault.

Evidence obtained by both departments led to arrest 38-year-old Donny Benedict, Pitulic's boyfriend. Benedict has been charged with murder and is being held in the Collin County Jail.

Dig deeper:

An arrest affidavit states that Pitulic was last seen together on July 18, when Pitulic and Benedict got into an argument over Pitulic's alleged infidelity at a pool party. Her phone location was turned off that same evening.

Benedict initially denied being with Pitulic that evening before acknowledging a ring video of the two leaving Pitulic's apartment. A photo of Pitulic in a pink bathing suit was provided to police by Benedict.

After executing a search warrant on the vehicle Pitulic was found in, investigators found the pink bathing suit, which tested positive for blood.

Police executed a search warrant at Benedict's residence, and noticed five mops in the house and an empty bleach container in the dumpster.

A hole in a wall at Benedict's house was consistent with a head injury police found on Pitulic, and police noticed blood on and below the hole. A fluorescent light test also found blood had been cleaned up from two areas of the house. 

Benedict's ex-girlfriend told police that she believed Benedict was capable of killing Pitulic based on past abusive behavior. She stated Benedict was up overnight on July 20 on the phone, and had noticed the hole in the wall that looked like the shape of a head.

Remembering the victim

What they're saying:

"She was an amazing person."

Pitulic originally hailed from Serbia and was a mother of two, and had been a longtime substitute teacher in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD.

"She never said no to anybody if we need help," Mena Wahba, a friend of Pitulic, tells FOX 4's Alex Boyer. "She really was sacrificing all her life, doing everything possible just to live."

Tiffany Tate, CEO of The Family Place, a group that helps victims of domestic violence, tells Boyer, "if you're in immediate danger, always call 911."

What you can do:

Pitulic's family friends have started a GoFundMe to return her body to Serbia, which you can find here.