BUTTE — Newly-released court documents are shedding light on disturbing details in the hours before a Butte woman died of an overdose in October 2025.
Sarah Benson, 30, is the victim named in a negligent homicide case against 35-year-old Brandi Miller, of Butte.
Meagan Thompson reports - watch the video here:
"She was a kind person. She was a daughter, a mother, a sister, an aunt — everything a normal woman can be with a family at 30-years old," Sarah's mother, Ginger Benson, said.
Court documents say Miller failed to contact law enforcement or emergency services while Benson was experiencing the deadly overdose. Instead, documents say, Miller and another woman used duct tape, Saran wrap, and a sheet to restrain Benson to "prevent her from moving and flailing around."
"I knew Brandi was bad from the very beginning, but I didn't know how bad," Ginger said.
Miller told police she was in a relationship with Sarah Benson. Court documents say Miller told police that she and Benson were fighting before Benson overdosed.
An affidavit details the hours before first responders arrived at Miller's home and attempted to save Benson, who was found warm to the touch but unresponsive.
She was declared dead about an hour later, on October 7, several hours after she ingested drugs during a traffic stop, according to a statement Miller gave to police, as well as law enforcement video from the scene.
According to charging documents, a review of a Montana State Trooper's body camera shows Sarah swallowing drugs around 10 p.m. The trooper was assisted by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during the stop.
In the hours between the traffic stop and the time emergency responders found Sarah at 7:48 a.m., Miller and another woman named Kassey Trump admitted to restraining her.
"It's a loss of life and there's people that do miss her on a daily basis. I mean, it's destroyed our family," Ginger said.
"She had a lot of friends: some good, some not. But, she was very loved and is very loved and missed," Ginger said.
Trump has now also charged with Sarah Benson's death. She was recently arrested in the Spokane area and is awaiting extradition to Montana.
She faces a negligent homicide charge and a misdemeanor for tampering with evidence in Benson's death.
Ginger Benson says she needs to see justice for her daughter.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
