Florida man’s double life is exposed in the hospital when his wife meets his fiancée

In 2016 Jessica Devnani was relationship Gregory Bender, a profitable hedge fund supervisor, who lived close to Orlando, Florida. What Jessica did not know on the time was that Greg had been retaining a secret from her. The secret can be uncovered whereas he was recovering from a medical process at an area hospital. What occurred in that room would result in occasions that may endlessly change lives.  

Devnani had met Bender on-line in 2009. He was 42 years outdated and Devnani was almost 20 years his junior. “He had a really charismatic persona. He was very clever,” Devnani mentioned. “It felt like we would recognized one another all our lives … he grew to become my greatest pal.” 

As their romance developed, Devnani says she observed Bender had a streak of jealousy in him and generally it might escalate to verbal threats. “I by no means feared what he may do to me, however I feared what he may do to different males,” she mentioned. Despite his flaws, she remained with him and finally they bought engaged. Devnani tells her story solely to “48 Hours,” in “The Ring: The Murder of Patrick De La Cerda,” reported by Peter Van Sant. 

Just a few years after their engagement, Devnani was confronted with a stunning twist of their relationship. Bender had undergone a process and, whereas he was recuperating within the ICU, Devnani determined to drop by for a shock go to. When she entered his room, one other lady was there. That lady was Daymara Sanchez, his spouse on the time. “I used to be like, ‘what’s she doing right here?’ and she or he’s like, ‘What are you doing right here? And I advised her I’m like his fiancée and I confirmed her the ring. And then she confirmed me her ring.  She’s like, ‘I’m his spouse!'” Devnani recalled. 

Devnani says she was devastated by the information. “My coronary heart simply dropped. I could not imagine it. I used to be in shock,” she mentioned. 

Several days handed earlier than Bender lastly contacted Devnani to clarify the scenario. He advised her it was strictly a wedding of comfort so he may assist the lady’s son attend a greater faculty district. Jessica says she took him again, however she issued an ultimatum – he needed to divorce his spouse. 

However, for months, Bender stalled and Devnani says she finally dumped him. A month later, in June 2017, she met 25-year-old Patrick De La Cerda on a relationship app. “I used to be afraid that he would discover out about our relationship.” Devnani mentioned. 

Devnani says Bender discovered about her new relationship with De La Cerda from Facebook. She mentioned that is when Bender began messaging De La Cerda and threatening him. Within months, Devnani says Bender would depart alarming messages to them each. In one voicemail for Devnani, Bender mentioned, “I’m giving directions. And I’m going to have my plan put into motion.” 

Eventually each Devnani and De La Cerda had sufficient, and Devnani requested a decide for a restraining order in opposition to Bender. The order, issued in December 2017, said Bender couldn’t contact Devnani, and he needed to hand over his firearms. 

The couple have been now enthusiastic about their future with out the looming risk of Bender, says Devnani. By the tip of 2017, De La Cerda proposed to Devnani. De La Cerda introduced Devnani with a short lived engagement ring, whereas he waited for the supply of a hoop he had designed.

But the day De La Cerda would give Devnani that ring by no means got here. On February 27, 2018, Jessica obtained two sudden calls from Bender. Fearing for De La Cerda’s security, she tried to succeed in him, however he did not reply his telephone. That’s when she rushed over to De La Cerda’s residence, and located him lifeless in a pool of blood. 

Soon after sheriff’s deputies arrived, Devnani advised them about Bender.  Another break within the case got here when a detective bought a tip from one other lady in Bender’s life: Bender’s now ex-wife, Daymara Sanchez, the lady Devnani says she met visiting Bender on the hospital years earlier. 

Daymara, who had watched information experiences about De La Cerda’s homicide, advised investigators a couple of “homicide plan” she had discovered which she says Bender wrote laying out a plot to kill De La Cerda. “Once she advised us in regards to the homicide plan, that gave us what we would have liked to get into the home to see, you realize, what else was in there,” lead detective Chad Weaver of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office mentioned. 

Once there, investigators have been shocked to discover a homicide plan, just like the one Sanchez described, crumpled up within the trash can in Bender’s residence workplace. They additionally discovered ammunition and a shell casing just like the rounds discovered on the crime scene. Weaver mentioned these discoveries gave them sufficient possible trigger to get an arrest warrant for Bender for De La Cerda’s homicide.

When Bender’s trial started in May 2021, Devnani and Sanchez, the 2 ladies who at one time have been on the heart of his life, would as soon as once more come head to head, however this time to testify in opposition to him.