A 34-year-old Battle Ground woman accused of killing a man by poisoning his drink in his hotel room at ilani Casino and Resort is being held on $10 million bail, according to Clark County Superior Court documents.
Raylin Benzie, of Battle Ground, was arrested for first-degree murder, controlled substance homicide, placing poison or other harmful substances in a drink, first-degree robbery and second-degree theft, according to a probable cause affidavit by the Cowlitz Indian Tribal Public Safety Department.
Benzie was arrested on Oct. 31 in Vancouver. On Oct. 5, Cowlitz Tribal police officers were sent to the ilani Casino Hotel for a reported death, according to court documents. Officers arrived at the hotel room to find a 38-year-old man dead. The man has been identified as Arslan, according to the affidavit. He had just the one name on his Washington state driver’s license.
The documents state that during a police interview, Benzie said she opted to give Arslan fentanyl as she forgot to bring a date rape drug that she would usually use to put men to sleep in order to rob them. According to surveillance footage, Benzie was in Arslan’s room for an hour in the early morning hours of Oct. 4. She then left the room by herself.
Benzie was then seen reentering the room with a different man, identified as Ivan Cortez-Escutia. The two were in the room for seven minutes before they both left. Arslan was found dead in his room by officers over a day later.
Court documents stated that Benzie denied any connection to Arslan’s death when first interviewed by detectives.
“No, no, no, he was f*****g snoring,” Benzie told detectives after being told Arslan had died, according to court documents. “He was sleeping. … That’s f*****g weird. That doesn’t make any sense. He was f*****g snoring.”
Benzie also said that Arslan told her he would pay her his casino winnings of $1,200 if she had sex with him, which was in September. She met with him again on Oct. 4. Arslan gave her a voucher for $1,280 when she went up to his room, court documents state.
Benzie also told detectives that she saw Arslan had “green” in his wallet she believed was cash. When officers searched his room on Oct. 5, evidence they gathered included liquid from drinking glasses, as well as Arslan’s empty wallet. A hotel room safe was also ajar and empty. Arslan was issued two room keys; officers only found one, according to court documents.
Several text messages from Benzie were listed in the court documents, with her communicating that she needed money before the incident.
One text read, “Lmao I’m dead I need to find a rich man to rob lol I’m about to be evicted out of my spot and I can’t have that bc I don’t have any familys house I can go to or a f*****g car since I just totaled my new one I just bought so I’m trippin u got any ideas?”
Another text mentioned drugging a man in order to take his money.
“I’m bored and I’ve been putting in work on this dude that I’m gonna bet he’s got 100k in his bank account right now,” Benzie’s text read.
The text recipient replied, “And why he supposed to just give it to you?”
Benzie responded, “Lol no I’m gunna get to know him then drug him to sleep n take it.”
Other communications with another male talked about when she first met Arslan in September. Benzie also asked for help after she would be making him go “night night,” when Arslan would return to ilani later that week in October. Her texts included, “I’m about to be on my way to the casino to go hit this lick …”
Benzie detailed her plan of giving 200mg of valium in the text messages.
Benzie also texted, “Wish me luck hopefully I give this (racial slur) enough to go night night for a whole week …”
The next texts progressed:
Benzie continued frantic texts to another male in the early hours of Oct. 4.
One text by Benzie even stated, “I PANICKED AND DID SOMETHING DUMB I NEED OUT OF HERE PLEASE!!”
She even went on stating, “I COULD GO AWAY FOR A VERY LONG F*****G TIME AND I JUST NEED OUT OF HERE.”
Benzie also stated at one point to the man who was seen on surveillance video picking her up from the casino, “I’m in the room looking for the cash.”
According to court documents, Arslan’s toxicology report by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office came back with fentanyl, the only drug in his system.
Benzie remains in the Clark County Jail on $10 million bail. A trial by jury is scheduled to begin Jan. 26, 2026.
