Photo: Benjamin Mersai
October 4, 2020 – Santa Barbara County, Ca.
When the dismembered remains of 53-year-old Santa Maria resident Joseph Martin Govey were found submerged in a pond and brought to the surface by members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team at Nipomo’s Blacklake Golf, SBSD homicide investigators began moving in on multiple suspects.
According to SBSD Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, Govey’s family had reported him missing in August 2019, indicating that “they last heard from the man in late 2018.” Evidence currently on hand indicates that “the killing occurred in early December 2018 in Santa Maria.”
On September 22nd, detectives arrested Santa Maria residents 35-year-old Kimberly Machleit and 37-year-old Donald Anderson in connection with the suspected murder.
While those two continue to sit in Santa Barbara County Jail with their bail amounts respectively set at $2,000,000 and $1,000,000, on October 1st detectives made contact with 33-year-old Santa Maria resident Benjamin Mersai while he was playing golf at the same location where Goveyo’s remains were found.
Mersai was taken into custody and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked and charged with being an accessory to murder “with a sentencing enhancement contending that the killing involved a firearm.” He remains behind bars with his bail set at $3,000,000.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
