Roommate allegedly killed prominent artist who disappeared several months ago
04/24/2025 2:43 pm PDT
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (TCN) -- Authorities recently arrested a man on suspicion of killing his roommate, a prominent artist and refugee.
In December 2024, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office received a report of a missing man, 75-year-old Somboun Sayasane, who was last seen near his residence. He was considered at risk due to his age and health. Investigators determined Sayasane had been killed, but no immediate arrests were made at the time.
Sheriff's office detectives concluded that Sayasane's roommate, 31-year-old Benjamin Dougherty, allegedly killed the victim and had his father, 74-year-old Robert Dougherty, help dispose of Sayasane's remains.
According to the sheriff's office, on April 17, officials found Benjamin Dougherty and his father in separate locations in Petaluma and took them into custody. Detectives then learned where Sayasane's body had been dumped and located him off a wooded area in Placerville.
Benjamin Dougherty faces a charge of murder, while Robert Dougherty was charged with accessory after the fact. Benjamin Dougherty remains held without bail, and his father's bail was set at $100,000.
According to SFGate, Sayasane began painting as a child in Laos, where he later studied fine arts before joining the Army Corps as an engineer. He reportedly gained refugee status in America in 1975 after Pathet Lao came to power. Sayasane's book of 57 paintings of Golden Gate Park was published in 2005, and he later exhibited his art at galleries in Sacramento.
Rolling Stone journalist Ben Fong-Torres, who had spent time with the artist, told SFGate, "Sayasane was one of the good ones. He was all about positivity and community, and he had great times expressing himself through art and music. He was humble about his talents but generous enough to share them with others, whether in Golden Gate Park or at a karaoke bar. Sing on, Sayasane."
MORE:
