In December of 2024, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office took a missing persons report for 75-year-old Somboun Sayasane, who was then last seen near his home in South Sacramento near 40th Street and 41st Avenue. Mr. Sayasane was deemed at risk due to his age and health conditions. As detectives progressed through their investigation, they suspected Mr. Sayasane had been murdered.

Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives took over the investigation and learned that Mr. Sayasane’s roommate, 31-year-old Benjamin Dougherty, was responsible for his murder. They also discovered that Benjamin’s father, 74-year-old Robert Dougherty, helped him dispose of the victim’s body. On the morning of April 17, Detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau located both Benjamin and Robert Dougherty in separate locations in the city of Petaluma. Both were taken into custody without incident and transported back to Sacramento County.

Detectives then learned Mr. Sayasane’s body had been dumped off in a wooded area off of Old Toll Road in the town of Placerville. Detectives located the victim, and Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene. Benjamin Dougherty was formally arrested for PC 187 – murder; Robert Dougherty was formally arrested for PC 32 – Accessory After the Fact. Both were transported to the Sacramento County Main Jail and are scheduled to appear in court on April 21. Benjamin Dougherty is ineligible for bail, while Robert Dougherty remains in custody on $100,000 bail.

Benjamin Dougherty’s booking photo is attached to this media release, but Robert Dougherty’s booking photo is ineligible for public release, per California law.

Sergeant Amar Gandhi
Sheriff’s Spokesman