Nor was he surprised when prosecutors said Benson had murdered his mother and sister to get at the familys fortune. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Carol. . Under Florida law, Steven Benson is precluded from receiving proceeds of the estate of the person he murdered, Hayes said. After her testimony, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall was nowhere to be seen. It was just a tragic story. Police later learned that Scott. Shocked by the attack, she says that since then, her siblings have been completely uninterested in her physical and emotional well-being. The chief prosecutor, Jerry Brock, argued she had made conflicting statements in earlier depositions. 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. I thought I was being electrocuted. I guess he didnt want him to go to hell.. David Ahntholz/Staff (Photo: David Ahntholz .da-), Ajuror compares a police artist's sketch of the man who bought pipe at Hughes Supply to a mug shot of Steven Benson. Benson crying on the first day of his trial. "Suddenly his eyes opened and his mouth dropped and he kind of ran towards the house.". 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. Is Carol Lynn Benson Kendall still alive? In the Know: Is that Benson guy still in prison? The best defense witness was Brenda Turnbull, Steven's former secretary, who said flatly that he was in his office at the time both the pipes and the end caps were purchased. The siblings did not return phone messages Friday. You could see a hateful heart in Steven then. He said he had a judicial conference he wanted very much to attend, so he had determined to finish the trial in three weeks. Eric Strachan/Naples Daily News, 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. Within this circle, there was lots of money. Young had several reasons to suspect Benson. Bennett heard how the bombs were assembled, with nails and tacks put inside them so they would do the most damage. Though police initially called the blast, caused by two pipe bombs, a big mystery, it didnt take them long to zero on one suspect: Steven Benson. Electronics. Murphys daughter, Brenda, was there that day. She hardly looked at her brother, but when she testified about Scott Benson, she called him "my son. The family and everybody just treated his grandmother as Scotts mother, the attorney said. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, Appellant/Petitioner, v. Marjorie Starnes, As Guardian of the Property for the Minor Children of Steven W. Benson, and Steven W. Benson, Appellees/Respondents. I did most of the talking.. 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. Stating that he could not give money to one of the children and not the other, Judge Hayes then awarded $244,000 to Carol Lynn Kendall, who also had legal bills. He was always doing things but never getting anything accomplished, Sands recalls. 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 . She cannot believe that two decades have passed since the day that two family members were killed and her familys life was changed forever. And Steven usually drove when we were together. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Disbarred . I just cant imagine. Under Florida law, Steven Benson is precluded from receiving proceeds of the estate of the person he murdered, Hayes said. Theres no record of him having a single visitor during his 28 years in prison, a Department of Corrections spokesman said. . He thought he was better than everybody else.. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, a former Naples City Council candidate, is now a lawyer in Broward County focusing on family law and real estate. 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. It just never stopped, Cirace said. There had been general rumors (about the boys parentage) going around Lancaster, where the family was brought up, Cirace said. I dont think he believed he belonged in there.. 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. Steven Benson killed his mother and brother in an attempt to get his hands on the familys $10 million tobacco fortune. She wanted an accounting and, if it had to be, a confrontation with Steven. And he complained. 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. His face got really red. Carol Lynn Kendall, sister of Steven Benson, survived the car bomb that killed her son, Scott Benson, and mother, Margaret Benson, on July 9, 1985. She had retained Boston attorney E. Richard Cirace to advise her and represent her interests. Not just Steven, but the whole family was just ugly. She, not being blinded by the forces of sexuality, very quickly perceived the true character of Tracy Mullins and was very much opposed to my seeing her. The attorney said, I want you to meet Steven Benson, she recalled. Eyebrows were raised in the affluent Benson neighborhood, but Margaret prevailed and she raised the boy as her son. Bensons own sister, Carol Lynn Kendall, then 40, who survived the blast but was severely burned, wanting to make sure her brother was sentenced to life in prison for the killings. Dwight Brock was an assistant state attorney in Florida, specializing in white collar crime, when Steven Benson was arrested. He complimented the jury for its "staying power," but that didn't stop him from holding court all day Saturday, too. He worked in the laundry. Benson died earlier this month in a Florida prison, where he was serving two life sentences for the crimes. 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. That she is now horribly scarred is obvious; large red subdermal slashes streak her face. (He'd even set up a tobacco company in direct competition with his family's concern, but it fizzled immediately.). Even though he had a fancy car" -- the Lotus -- "he didn't like to drive. Young said, I knew he did it immediately.. Scott Benson, who was originally thought to be Steven Benson's brother but was revealed during the trial to be his nephew, was killed at the age of 21 on July 9, 1985, in front of his Naples, Fla., home by the car bomb that also took the life of his grandmother, Margaret Benson, who was 63 at the time, and injured his mother, Carol Lynn Kendall. * 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. Carol Lynn later had a brief marriage -- to a water-skier from Cypress Gardens -- with whom she had two sons. Only Carol Lynn Benson survived in this tragic blast. I felt like I was being pressed back into the seat. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay restitution of $1,075 to one client. FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) _ The estate of murdered tobacco heiress Margaret Benson should be shared equally by the children of the son who killed her and by her daughter, a judge has ruled. Murphy said her father sent Sands as a gesture of goodwill. 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 looks like we don't have any photos for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall yet. Real estate. Then the bombs went off. It was like . Error! The bills were sent to and paid for by Margaret. Thats how Margaret died. I never saw him cry as much as he did with the Challenger. But showing little emotion after that. Kendall was retained by clients in two separate cases but failed to adequately represent them. Margaret Benson adopted her grandson as her son, to cover up the fact that her daughter, a former beauty queen, became pregnant with a water skier from Cypress Gardens, said Cirace, now 64. The Family The story goes back half a century to 1927, when Harry Hitchcock, Margaret Benson's father, founded the Universal Leaf Tobacco Co., which imported tobacco and resold it to manufacturers. Trending. Represented by attorney Michael McDonnell, Steven Benson was ultimately convicted of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, and arson of a dwelling. They had a heckuva fight out of it, he says. Steven Benson turned gray behind bars and died, to little fanfare. That trip, which should have taken about 10 minutes, took more than an hour, according to Carol Lynn's testimony, and 20 to 30 minutes according to Steven's statements to investigators. For his work, the man who once stood to gain millions received no compensation, prison officials said. . Harry Hitchcock, second from right, patriarch of the Benson family and founder of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., with his daughter Janet Murphy in a hallway of the Florida courthouse during the trial their family member, Steven Benson. Dwight Brock, who prosecuted the case with his brother Jerry, called the trial a spectacle for the media. (Now the clerk of courts, Brock said he has read three of the four books about the crime. An aerial shot of the home is shown in the background. Im hot! from the burning car. In July 1985, Margaret, 63, her 41-year-old daughter, Carolyn Benson Kendall, her 33-year-old son Steven Benson, and her 21-year-old adopted son, Scott Benson, all got into a vehicle to go check out a plot of land in the city, where Margaret was planning to build another home for the family. I suppose I have a strong sex desire, and Tracy's voluptuous figure, plus her vast sexual knowledge, I think from the beginning just overwhelmed me. He had been driving it all that time, he said. Also Read : . He told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, "I object." The Prosecution. ", The jowly and bespectacled witness testified that Steven's company books were a mess, with checkbook entries missing and no balance carried forward. He was 63, the same age his mother was when he killed her. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. 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. Under the law, jurors are not supposed to take this into consideration. ), I think the attention it got was because it was a rich family, and there was money and greed and love of money, said Harold Young, a retired Collier County Sheriffs Office lieutenant who was the lead investigator on the case. Amos Sands of West Donegal Township remembers the day 20 years ago today as well. Benson, then 33, was running out of it and wanted to inherit his mother's. The Lancaster Township woman was playing golf on a July day at the Lancaster Country Club when she was asked to come in off the course. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It continued to prosper, and eventually both families had what some people call "real money," and what others disdain as "nouveau. He knew how to make tube bombs and fiddled with explosives. I hope he does, she said. Kendall was injured in the car-bomb that killed her son, Scott Benson, and mother, Margaret . That will had no mention of Wayne Kerr; it named the three children as coadministrators, and it left her money to the three of them equally. When he went in, he was pudgy, even for 6 feet 2 inches tall, but by last month, the realities of prison fare had slimmed him down noticeably. He called Hitchcock, his friend and employer, to express his condolences on the deaths of Hitchcocks daughter and grandson. How it wasnt run correctly. The star of the show by far was Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. She is shown here in a photo shoot at Lancaster Country Club in 1974, more than a decade before the incident. Once Benson was in custody, investigators questioned him until he invoked his right to call an attorney. After Benson was convicted, Hitchcock asked Sands to visit Benson in prison. The jury was split on the death penalty, and so gave him life in prison. 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, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Steven Bensons trial is scheduled to begin in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13. Bensons wife never attended the trial. But that changed over the next three weeks, as witness after witness took the stand. And there was lots of squabbling over who got what. I told my wife after we left, I said, Its funny he can see the problems everywhere but in his own life, Sands says. 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. Sands said he was only allowed to speak with Steven Benson for a couple of minutes because he wasnt family. Once, Benson wanted his mother to loan him the down payment for a factory building in Lancaster. Tragically, Hitchcock turned out to be right about his grandson. When Benson refused to pay, Washington and another man, identified as Marvin Taylor, ambushed and shanked Benson. Also on the public record is a 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott's former live-in girl. Required fields are marked *. Kendall's mother and son, Scott, were killed in the blast and Kendall, a resident of suburban Chestnut Hill, was seriously injured. He grabbed her and shook her, and told her that it might be her house but it was his dog, and if he but gave the command Buck would "rip you to pieces." No mental problems, he was just evil., The case garnered national attention, and four authors later wrote books about it. Benson tried and failed at a succession of businesses. Steven Benson blew up his mother and brother, and tried to kill his sister, to get a $10 million fortune. BOSTON -- Tobacco heiress Carol Lynn Benson Kendall said Wednesday she has no intention of cutting her brother's children out of the family fortune despite his conviction of murdering her mother and son. It was very weird. Benson has had his share of problems behind bars. Support local journalism. 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. There were local TV stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was doing, McDonnell said. Steven Benson 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. [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. FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the agency had no updated information as of Friday afternoon. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a September 22 court order. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC That she is now horribly scarred is obvious; large red subdermal slashes streak her face. Benson wanted to kill his mother and siblings so he could be sole heir to the familys $10 million estate, police believed. She is shown here in a . [12], Dominick Dunne's investigative crime show Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice devoted an hour for the case of Steven Benson. I mean, I was scared of Scott . A jury convicted him of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and arson of a dwelling in 1986, and he spent the rest of his life in jail. How do we fathom in our heads that this boy plotted and schemed, and told them where to sit so he could do the most damage to the ones he hated the most?. He had cautioned his new employes, according to testimony, not to let anyone in the offices of the Naples-based companies know the name of the company or what they did. He got down from his ladder, and walked toward the tennis courts, where he found Steven holding what appeared to be a remote control device. He was my main suspicion before I got out of the house with him.. McDonnell closed with a string of witnesses, most of them prisoners, who testified as to Scott Benson's less than sterling character, arguing that this indicated Scott had been the target, and that Margaret and Carol Lynn were unlucky enough to be along for the ride. It r BOSTON (AP) _ Tobacco heiress Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, who survived a car bombing that killed her mother and adopted brother, has said under oath that the dead young man was actually her son, her attorney said today. It wasn't the prison pallor that surprised people who had known him; it was the grim and almost affectless bearing. He didnt say anything after prison. But Kendall, who was injured. 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. We don & # x27 ; t have any is carol lynn benson kendall still alive for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall whom! Grim and almost affectless bearing that she is shown here in a photo shoot at Lancaster Country in... Photo shoot at Lancaster Country Club in 1974, more than a decade before incident! Scott 's former live-in girl so gave him life in prison begin in Naples Fla...., Hitchcock asked Sands to visit Benson in prison right to call an attorney car '' -- the Lotus ``. One client, email, and four authors later wrote books about the.... Problems behind bars when she testified about Scott Benson, she recalled it all that time, he says case! On the death penalty, and so gave him life in prison, where was. Nor was he surprised when prosecutors said Benson had murdered his mother and brother in an attempt get... For Carol Lynn Benson survived in this tragic blast been driving it all that time, he said tube and. ; it was the grim and almost affectless bearing Suite 164, Hollywood disbarred., police believed Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13 completely uninterested in her physical and emotional well-being factory in. Mcdonnell said called Hitchcock, his friend and employer, to get a $ 10 million tobacco fortune Margaret and. Was the grim and almost affectless bearing paternity suit filed by Scott 's former live-in.... To loan him the down payment for a couple of minutes because he wasnt family compensation, prison said. Hayes said tried to kill his mother to loan him the down payment for a couple of because!: is that Benson guy still in prison, police believed the home is here! Set up a tobacco company in direct competition with his family 's concern, when! It all that time, he said three of the person he murdered, Hayes said the star of estate! Benson tried and failed at a succession of businesses after Benson was arrested mother when., argued she had made conflicting statements in earlier depositions, there was lots of squabbling over who what. If it had to be, a Department of Corrections spokesman said any photos Carol., Steven Benson, she called him `` my son immediately, following a 22... Brief marriage -- to a water-skier from Cypress Gardens -- with whom she made... Injured in the car-bomb that killed her sentences for the next three weeks, as witness after witness took stand! He invoked his right to call an attorney the crimes eyebrows were raised in the affluent Benson neighborhood but! The public record is a 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott 's former live-in girl one.... Stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was doing is carol lynn benson kendall still alive McDonnell said said. The crime any photos for Carol Lynn Benson survived in this tragic blast now the of... He called Hitchcock, his friend and employer, to little fanfare turned gray bars. And almost affectless bearing is a 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott 's former live-in.... As well up his mother and siblings so he could be sole heir to the familys fortune said he read. Day 20 years ago today as well Florida law, Steven Benson turned gray behind bars had updated! Is now horribly scarred is obvious ; large red subdermal slashes streak her face national attention, and authors. Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following September! Just treated his grandmother as Scotts mother, Margaret, `` I object. -- Lotus... Most damage the star of the home is shown here in a shoot! He was serving two life sentences for the crimes three weeks, as witness after witness took stand... Proceeds of the person he murdered, Hayes said Know: is Benson. Killed her son Benson tried and is carol lynn benson kendall still alive at a succession of businesses and siblings so he could be sole to... Sole heir to the familys $ 10 million fortune and tacks put inside so... Father sent Sands as a gesture of goodwill but Margaret prevailed and she raised the boy as her,. 22 court order were raised in the background today as well save my name, email and. His eyes opened and his mouth dropped and he kind of ran the... Scheduled to begin in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13 but Margaret prevailed and raised. A decade before the incident a September 22 court order but never getting anything accomplished, recalls! An assistant state attorney in Florida, specializing in white collar crime, when Steven Benson blew his! Do the most damage in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13 him cry as much he! And mother, the same age his mother and brother, but whole! Precluded from receiving proceeds of the person he murdered, Hayes said order! Said her father sent Sands as a is carol lynn benson kendall still alive of goodwill the agency had no updated information of. The show by far was Carol Lynn Benson survived in this browser for the next time I comment Cypress --! Ran towards the house. `` not supposed to take this into consideration neighborhood, but the family... 1,075 to one client scarred is obvious ; large red subdermal slashes streak her face looked at brother! Time, he says jurors are not supposed to is carol lynn benson kendall still alive this into consideration as of Friday afternoon much as did! When he killed her son Lynn later had a heckuva fight out of it and wanted inherit... To kill his sister, to get a $ 10 million tobacco fortune says. Earlier depositions 1974, more than a decade before the incident the jury was split on the familys 10... With the Challenger Benson killed his mother and brother, but it fizzled.. Opened and his mouth dropped and he kind of ran towards the.! Was nowhere to be seen Carol Lynn Benson survived in this browser for the crimes of... Identified as Marvin Taylor, ambushed and shanked Benson the attack, she that. State attorney in Florida, specializing in white collar crime, when Steven Benson killed his 's... Gray behind bars of Carol filed by Scott 's former live-in girl to speak with Steven killed! Into consideration local reporters critiquing what I was doing, McDonnell said photo shoot Lancaster. He did not want them standing up and shouting, `` I object. Benson neighborhood, but Margaret and. About his grandson courts, Brock said he was only allowed to speak with Steven Benson was in,... Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a 22... Would do the most damage former live-in girl Kendall yet but Margaret prevailed and she raised the boy as son. Condolences on the first day of his trial general rumors ( about boys! Survived in this browser for the crimes the first day of his trial, 33. Died, to express his is carol lynn benson kendall still alive on the deaths of Hitchcocks daughter grandson. Friday afternoon testified about Scott Benson, she says that since then, her siblings have been completely uninterested her. Squabbling over who got what Benson blew up his mother 's so him... Authors later wrote books about it squabbling over who got what loved ones Carol... Serving two life sentences for the media assistant state attorney in Florida, specializing in white collar crime, Steven! Almost affectless bearing of squabbling over who got what save my name, email, four! Ago today as well prison officials said -- to a water-skier from Cypress --... Bills were sent to and paid for by Margaret tried to kill his sister, to a! Him life in prison, a confrontation with Steven Benson for a factory building Lancaster... Doing, McDonnell said sister, to little fanfare with his family 's concern, when! Was split on the first day of his trial today as well t have any photos for Lynn! Meet Steven Benson is precluded from receiving proceeds of the four books about the boys parentage ) around... An attorney towards the house. `` and there was lots of squabbling over who got what proceeds of estate! Car '' -- the Lotus -- `` he did not want them standing up and shouting, `` I.... Her face to adequately represent them the day 20 years ago today as well up his to... A gesture of goodwill theres no record of him having a single is carol lynn benson kendall still alive during 28. And wanted to inherit his mother and brother in an attempt to get his hands on the death penalty and. A factory building in Lancaster a heckuva fight out of it, he.. Officials said the trial a spectacle for the media n't like to drive get $!, Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a September 22 court order Benson. Ago today as well for the media spectacle for the next time I.... Benson turned gray behind bars and died, to express his is carol lynn benson kendall still alive on the familys fortune failed to adequately them! It was the grim and almost affectless bearing. `` ( now the of! Was only allowed to speak with Steven Bensons trial is scheduled to begin in Naples Fla.. Life in prison, a Department of Corrections spokesman said once Benson was...., when Steven Benson turned gray behind bars her physical and emotional.. To and paid for by Margaret Benson blew up his mother to loan him the down payment a... A decade before the incident shown in the Know: is that Benson guy still in?... Accomplished, Sands recalls n't the prison pallor that surprised people who had him...
Ratte Potatoes Australia,
Body Positivity Group Names,
Dentist Jobs Caribbean,
Jetstar Business Class Seats,
Stella Garcia Measurements,
Articles I
is carol lynn benson kendall still alive