Bentley, originally from Dallas, Texas, joined pro-Russian separatists in 2014 to fight against Ukrainian forces and became a Russian citizen in 2021. He went missing in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in April and was later found dead.

The Russian Investigative Committee, responsible for probing major crimes, identified the suspects as Russian Armed Forces servicemen Vitaly Vansyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, and Andrei Iordanov. Investigators allege that on April 8, Vansyatsky, Agaltsev, and Bazhin tortured Bentley, leading to his death. Vansyatsky and Agaltsev then reportedly blew up a car containing Bentley’s body and ordered Bazhin to conceal the remains. The men face charges including abuse of power resulting in death, desecration, and concealment of a body.

The motive for Bentley’s murder remains unclear, but his allies speculate that he may have been mistaken for a spy. Bentley’s wife, Lyudmila, previously claimed that he was abducted by Russian soldiers from a tank battalion. Known as “Texas” among his comrades, Bentley fought for the Donetsk-based Vostok battalion from 2014 to 2017.

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