Young also remembers the day they arrested Benson: Aug. 22, 1985. The case still resonates three decades later. The Prosecution. And trying to come to grips with the loss of her mother, with whom she had been close, at least from time to time, has been hard. In a rare moment of emotion during his trial, Steven Benson cries in the Florida courtroom where a jury convicted him in 1986 of blowing up his family in a Chevy Suburban in the driveway of their Naples, Fla., home on July 9, 1985. He found Steven Benson inside his mothers house, talking on a telephone. She hardly looked at her brother, but when she testified about Scott Benson, she called him "my son. View our. During a deposition taken by Bensons attorneys in Florida on Sept. 20, Mrs. Kendall, 40, said she was an unmarried teen-ager when she became pregnant, The Boston Herald reported today. Last Known Contact Information. He worked in the laundry. There had been general rumors (about the boys parentage) going around Lancaster, where the family was brought up, Cirace said. Bennett heard Kendall, who was disfigured in the bombing, testify that after the first blast blew her out of the car, she was still conscious, and she yelled to her brother to help her. When I see that, I pity people like that. Also Read : . She cannot believe that two decades have passed since the day that two family members were killed and her familys life was changed forever. The first thing he said was, Well, Steve done it, you know that. He thought that right away, Sands, now 81, remembered today. It wasnt discussed. . Carl Westman, a Naples attorney named to represent Margaret Benson's estate, usually sat with Cirace. But Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father. Eyebrows were raised in the affluent Benson neighborhood, but Margaret prevailed and she raised the boy as her son. He got stabbed, and a knife was found in his own cell. I still get recognized, said Michael McDonnell, Bensons defense attorney, who at 74 still practices in Naples and Fort Myers. Before the day was over, according to newspaper accounts, Steven had asked for and received a loan of $20,000 from his grandfather. She also said that Steven was gone so long for coffee that she kidded he "could have gone all the way to Fort Myers. I think it was just pure greed for money, Murphy said. TV show Monday features Benson family murders, one of Naples' notorious crimes, Lighthouse Project - History: Murderers, moonshiners, swindlers lead rogues gallery of SW Florida crooks, Naples pipe bomb killer Steven Benson dies in prison. The jury was split on the death penalty, and so gave him life in prison. Murphy declined to say where she now is living and says she does not see her regularly. The Trustees set up a trust for Kendall, a trust for Stephen, and a share for Scott. Scott had canisters of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to which he was addicted, delivered to the house on a monthly basis, defense witnesses said. I saw you on TV. malevolent." He said Steven was laughing. Margaret Benson eventually loaned her son the money but he never did anything with the building, Sands says. Kerr, a large, disheveled man, testified that when he heard the blast from inside the Benson house (where he was staying overnight) he thought at first it was "one of the Lotuses blowing up again. But in reality she had been alone with her thoughts -- the memory of that "malevolent orange thing," and her recollection of the day she took the stand and referred, for the first time in public, and in front of all those strangers, to the late Scott Benson as "my son.". He returned and got everyone into the Suburban and then went back into the house to retrieve a tape measure. Thats the whole thing: self, self, self and me, me, me and me. For years, she had paid for the lessons and the coaches and the trips, not to mention his 16 tennis racquets. . (AP Photo) (Photo: Anonymous). But a witness for the defense, Steven's secretary, testifed Steven never left the office during the times when the pipe and end caps were purchased. We learned about the passing of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on May 23, 2022. And so he appears very much alone. His deposition in that case reads like pulp fiction of old: "My mother (meaning Margaret Benson) who had 38 years of marriage to my father, a greatly respected man of the highest character both in business and his personal life, is herself a religious person of high integrity and moral values. He just stood there. Im 91 now, Sands said when reached by phone Friday. He complimented the jury for its "staying power," but that didn't stop him from holding court all day Saturday, too. Its been decades since his trial attracted attention, though TV specials still pop up on cable channels from time to time. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Scott ran with a rough crowd, and was known to get rough with both Margaret and Carol Lynn. Nobody else had time to put a bomb in there, Young said. Hitchcocks daughter, Margaret, it turned out, was not really the mother of Scott Benson. Then the witness surprised the judge by asking if he could make a "statement." She suffered first-degree burns on her face and hands in the explosion and is still undergoing extensive reconstructive surgery. By the time the closing statements were presented, the evidence was clear, Bennett said. Later he approved a partial distribution from Margaret Benson's estate. On the morning of the explosion, the entire family agreed to inspect the land at Stevens suggestion. Some who knew him werent really surprised. A jury convicted Steven Benson of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and arson of a dwelling. He stared at her and walked away, said Kendall, who is now 70 and living somewhere in Florida. At the age of 63, Margaret Benson, was killed by her son, Steven Benson, with a car bomb that also took the life of her her grandson, Scott Benson, and injured her daughter, Carol Lynn Kendall, on July 9, 1985, in fron t of their Naples, Fla., home. And he is an arbitrator within the family when things go wrong., Steven started to cry. Prosecutors said it showed that while Carol Lynn owed her mother $118,560.33, Steven's IOU was $268,163.89. Bennett heard about the money battles that were going in within the family, how Margaret Benson used money to control her children, how they fought among themselves and with her to gain access to the fortune, how Margaret Benson asked a secretary to inform and spy on Steven. 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002, Biden migrant surge sets all-time record for most arrests at southern border, With its social media biz under siege, Facebook looks to build a new metaverse empire, Youngkin goes solo, McAuliffe leans on surrogates in home stretch of Va. governors race. [citation needed], Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice, "Killer Succession" (Season 1, Episode 3), "Inmate Population Information Detail - Steven Benson", "In the Know: Is that Benson guy still in prison? No mental problems, he was just evil., The case garnered national attention, and four authors later wrote books about it. Kendall was injured in the car-bomb that killed her son, Scott Benson, and mother, Margaret Benson, on July 9, 1985, in front of their Naples, Fla., home. Office: 954-789-0834. They were obliterated when a pipe bomb the size of a football planted between the two front seats exploded. Had she not left the rear door of the unairconditioned Chevy Suburban wagon open on that miserably hot July morning 13 months ago in Naples, Fla., she, like her mother and her 21-year-old adopted "brother" Scott, would also be dead. Steven Benson is led into the Collier County jail complex on the day of his arrest in 1985. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall was a former Miss Florida runner-up and was survived in a murder attempt by her brother Steven Wayne Benson in 1985. They had a heckuva fight out of it, he says. "), Near the end of his testimony, he said he had finally told Margaret Benson, "You have to stop being a bank for your children." Electronics. Murphys nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to escape the fiery blast that day. Murphy herself doesnt have those feelings toward her nephew. The chief prosecutor, Jerry Brock, argued she had made conflicting statements in earlier depositions. Attorneys, an investigator and a juror have never forgotten what Steven Benson did, and how it affected their lives in the years since he was convicted of killing his family in Naples, Florida. If Steven Benson caused problems, then Scott caused traumas. ), After a brief rebuttal by the prosecution, Judge Hayes let the jury go. She was crying. Oh no, she thought. Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation? [4] Kendall survived but was badly burned; Margaret and Scott died instantly from the bomb blast. I can see what money can do when people get so tied up in self, he says. He. His second wife Debra was not in the courtroom, or even in Florida. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Carol. Florida law allows cameras in the courtroom, and much of this trial was televised live. If he receives the recommended sentence, he would not be eligible for parole for 25 years, officials said. It all came back to him.. That she is now horribly scarred is obvious; large red subdermal slashes streak her face. Through taxes, disbursements and attorneys fees, the estate has dwindled from $10 million to about $1.2 million, said Carl Westman, the estates attorney. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall is 42 years old. He told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, "I object." Amos Sands of West Donegal Township remembers the day 20 years ago today as well. * The prosecution's key evidence, along with the testimony of Steven's sister, were palm prints on sales receipts for pipe identical to that used in the bombs, as well as end caps. The 12 members of the jury listen to arguments in the Florida courtroom where they convicted Steven Benson in 1986 of blowing up his family in a Chevy Suburban in the driveway of their Naples, Fla., home on July 9, 1985. The attorney said, I want you to meet Steven Benson, she recalled. Within this circle, there was lots of money. Retired U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agent Frank Kendall -- no relation to Carol Lynn -- testified that the palm print Steven Benson voluntarily gave the police in the summer of 1985 and the palm print on the pipe invoice were "made by the same person." But the topic was always the same: problems in prison. He was born in 1951 in Baltimore. Prosecutors argued his mother's funds were used as seed money -- or to bail out one or more of the companies in emergencies, of which there were many. Attorneys representing Steven Benson, 36, and Margaret Benson's daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 43, said they both probably will appeal Monday's ruling. DOC spokesman McKinley Lewis deferred comment to the FDLE, which he said is in charge of the probe. Naples Daily News 0:00 1:22 Steven Benson is led into the Collier County jail complex on the day of his arrest in 1985. emains listed on the DOC website as an open investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. At first, Murphy thought her niece, Carol Lynn Kendall, 40, also had died, but she found out that she was badly burned but had survived. Steven Benson, right, enters Lee County Court with his defense attorney Mike McDonnell as the jury selection portion of his murder trial Monday, July 14, 1986. Inmates told investigators that Washington planned to extort $1,000 from Benson within days after arriving at Taylor Correctional Institution. Once these equal trusts were created, the children of the settlor would receive a net income over their lifetime and an amount equal to 2% of the capital, which would be determined at the time of the establishment of the individual trusts on a quarterly basis. It r Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendalls 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast outside the familys Naples, Fla., home because he believed he was about to be cut out of his mothers will. Another facet of the prosecutor's argument was that Steven had been very specific about where each one of the family's members was to sit in the wagon -- and then, just before the first blast, he said he had forgotten a tape measure and headed back to the house. Lending her emotional support was her grandfather, Harry Hitchcock, who had made a dramatic appearance in the courtroom at 8:25 a.m. and stayed the entire day. I mean, I was scared of Scott . The Daughter and Her Son. She was not allowed to leave town, as there was the possibility that the state might put her back on the stand. US fails miserably against Russia at the crucial UN Vote. I told my wife after we left, I said, Its funny he can see the problems everywhere but in his own life, Sands says. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall came in to see her brother's jury be excused for the night. In the second half of 2015, there were close to 200 inmate deaths in Florida's prisons. [8], Benson died at Taylor Correctional Institution in Perry, Florida of a stab wound to the right side of the head with a homemade knife on July 3, 2015. The jury convicted him of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and arson of a dwelling in the killing of his mother and nephew and injuring of his sister with car-bomb in front of their Naples, Fla., home. To that end, he held court one day from 8:30 in the morning, his usual opening time, to 10 that night. He never looked at anybody, says Murphy, who sat right behind Benson during the trial. "I couldn't understand why he wasn't coming over to help me," she testified to a packed but dead silent courtroom. ", When they got back to Naples, Margaret told Steven she wanted to meet with him and Kerr that evening and "talk business." But that same day, local attorney Guion DeLoach showed up with a second and more recent will, one that Margaret Benson had him draw up and that she signed Jan. 29, 1985. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. . On Aug. 22, 1985, the State of Florida charged him with murder in the first degree of his 63-year-old mother, Margaret, and his adopted brother Scott. Young, the investigator, said hes seen more horrendous cases than the Benson case, ones where people killed their children by drowning them in their mothers blood. I dont know if it will ever go away or not., Information from: LNP, https://lancasteronline.com. . One youth remembered finding dry-cell batteries, wire and alligator clips in a closet and saying to himself, "Oh, this is Steve Benson's stuff . Steven Bensons trial is scheduled to begin in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13. Benson's death was reported soon after it happened on July 3. Margaret, Scott, and Stevens sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, were waiting for Benson to join them in the family car on July 9, 1985, when the Chevrolet Suburban exploded. Not long after, Harry Hitchcock wrote to the judge, opposing his nephew's release: "Anyone capable of murdering his mother for money is capable of murdering his grandfather for the same reason. Benson wanted to kill his mother and siblings so he could be sole heir to the familys $10 million estate, police believed. Indeed, Margaret Benson did change her will, but in a terribly ironic touch, the only change was to cut out Wayne Kerr as executor. It wasn't the prison pallor that surprised people who had known him; it was the grim and almost affectless bearing. and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team, This website uses cookies. Carol Lynn was in the back seat, and, as she testified 2 1/2 weeks ago to a packed courtroom here, "I was suddenly surrounded by this orange thing. Steven Benson and his wife, Debra, leave funeral services for his mother and brother, Margaret and Scott Benson, at St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster in 1985. "Sharp force head trauma. There was none. You could see a hateful heart in Steven then. [5] He avoided the death penalty, and was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Debra divorced Steven shortly after his August 22, 1985, arrest. ", Carol Lynn told investigators, in a statement taken after she was released from the hospital where she had been treated for severe burns and had begun the long process of reconstructive surgery, that while her mother was scared of Scott, Margaret Benson felt that Steven was the only one who would actually harm her for her money: "She wouldn't put it past Steven to do away with her. He will be eligible for parole when he is 85. He just wouldnt respond to it, Sands says. I heard a lot of cursing and swearing.. Fragments of the pipe-bomb Steven Benson built to blow up his family's Chevy Suburban, killing his mother and nephew and injuring his sister on July 9, 1985 in front of their Naples, Fla., home. The 63-year-old Pennsylvania tobacco heiress died when two pipe bombs ripped apart her car apart on July 9, 1985, in front of her North Naples home. But there is no doubt that he had a rough crowd of friends -- the defense called several occupants of the Naples jail to testify about Scott and his various habits, in the hope that this possible alternative theory would raise a reasonable doubt as to whether Steven is guilty. It was the O.J. But everyone agreed that she had done so well, it might be unwise to risk a second appearance. But Kendall, who was injured. Daddy. Bennett had heard of the financial battles that took place in the family, how Margaret Benson used money to control her children, how they fought each other and with her for access to wealth, as Margaret Benson asked the secretary to inform and spy on her. In the Know: Is that Benson guy still in prison? He turned to the television cameras and delivered a stern warning to the "youth of Southwest florida" about the dangers of laughing gas. Mrs. Benson was 63 when she died in the blast. Benson was sentenced to life in prison. [citation needed] The case was featured in Great Crimes and Trials and Infamous Murders. Support local journalism. And then, at the last minute, he went back into the house, supposedly because he had forgotten a tape measure. Except for that last-minute surprise appearance, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall had spent the day out of sight, with her lawyer and the lawyer for her mother's estate. [3] On July 9, 1985, Benson placed a pipe bomb in the family car, in which Margaret, Scott, and Steven's sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall (a former Miss Florida runner-up), were waiting for Benson to join them when the Chevrolet Suburban exploded. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. His sister, Carol Lynn, was badly burned in the blast but survived. [2] (Margaret Hitchcock Benson was heiress of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., Lancaster, Pa., and had no connection with Benson & Hedges brand cigarettes manufactured in the US by Philip Morris.) He was supposed to provide them the next day, the day the bomb went off.. Real estate. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He said Mrs. Kendall, who was recovering from severe burns at her home in the Chestnut Hill section of Boston, recently told her teen-age sons about Scotts parentage, but never told Scott. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Obituary - Death, Cause Of Death, Funeral: Friends and others affected mourn the death of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, has suddenly passed away.click to read and leave tributes. Just sort of odd, very different.. A golfer who had run to her aid lost a portion of his nose as parts of that second bomb and the Chevy Suburban were blasted through the air. She said, I want to know where all the money went. She wanted to see the books. File photo. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. ", Edward Benson died in 1980 at the age of 60, and his widow moved to Naples, Fla., a Gulf Coast enclave whose Chamber of Commerce boasts more millionaires per capita than any other U.S. city. Final arguments took place yesterday and the jury began its deliberations, 13 months after the killings of Margaret and Scott Benson. Despite claims by the defense that Scott was heavily involved in drug use and possibly even drug dealing (and that the bombing was therefore drug-related) there was little testimony that Scott was anything more than a regular user of nitrous oxide and an occasional user of marijuana and cocaine. Reached Friday about her brother's death, she. Subdermal slashes streak her face Sands said when reached by phone Friday or even in Florida had time put. A brief rebuttal by the time the closing statements were presented, the day the bomb blast the second of. Carol Lynn, was not really the mother of Scott Benson approved a partial distribution Margaret. 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