The Grapevine community is reeling after a 41-year-old substitute teacher and mother of two was found dead after being reported missing earlier this month.
Carrollton police officers and firefighters found Vera Pitulic in Carrollton on July 21 at around 8 a.m after responding to a call about an unconscious person in a car on the shoulder of the 2500 block of southbound Interstate 35.
First responders found Pitulic dead inside the vehicle, police said.
According to family and friends, Pitulic and her boyfriend, 38-year-old Donny Benedict, were at a club on July 18 when they had an argument. That was the last time she was seen by friends and family. Her family reported her missing to the Grapevine Police Department on July 20.
Grapevine officers used a license plate reader to locate her car. While Carrollton police was on-scene, Grapevine officers arrived to say Pitulic had previously been reported missing. The Grapevine and Carrollton police and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated together.
Carrollton police got a search warrant for Benedict’s home, where they found evidence to put out an arrest warrant for Benedict. Carrollton police located him, arrested him and charged him with murdering Pitulic, according to a news release.
Benedict was taken to the Carrollton jail and then transferred to the Collin County jail. He has a prior arrest for domestic violence in Collin County.
‘She was my rock’
Vera Pitulic was found dead on July 21. Her boyfriend has been arrested and charged with her murder.
According to the Grapevine-Colleyville school district, Pitulic was employed as a substitute at GCISD since January 2023.
Community members and staff have said on social media that she frequently substituted for classes at Dove Elementary, and that her presence will be missed.
Pitulic, who was originally from Serbia, moved to North Texas in 2013 and made a life for herself and worked in the same district that her two young sons attended.
Pitulic’s cousin Marijana Pitulic told the Star-Telegram’s media partner WFAA that Pitulic was her rock.
“I would never think this would happen to her,” Marijana told WFAA. “I would never think in a million years that this is how far it’s gonna get.”
Pitulic’s family is raising money to bury her in Serbia, close to other family members. The family has set up a GoFundMe and is asking for help with the cost of the administration work and flying the body back home.
“With both of her parents already gone, her brothers are now facing not only an unimaginable loss, but also the responsibility of bringing her home and giving her the dignified farewell she deserves,” the campaign reads.
Officials are requesting the public’s help and ask anyone who has more information about the incident to call Carrollton police at 972-466-3333 or *247.
