"How long does it take to say a guy was stabbed in the temple?" It was her sister, Margaret, 63, and her nephew, Scott, 21, who had died in a horrific car explosion in Florida. Click here to learn more about the role the Lancaster County Local Journalism Fund plays in Lancaster County and to make a tax-deductible donation. I dont know if it will ever go away or not., Information from: LNP, https://lancasteronline.com. Behind bars, Benson has worked in the laundry and on a painting detail. You can also browse other available content for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on IMDb such as filmography, trivia, personal details, etc. I remember when my sister had him here was this baby and then he ends up killing her. Margaret and Scott died instantly, and Caroline was rushed to the hospital with severe burns. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay . Most recently, he was assigned as a houseman, performing maintenance and cleaning duties. I thought I was being electrocuted. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. And he put a lot of planning in it but never covered his tracks at all., Tom Schelling, whom the Benson family had on the payroll to do maintenance and construction around their many estates, said he has known Steven Benson since high school. Also in the car were her two children, 21-year-old Scott, who died, and 41-year-old Carol Lynn, who was badly injured but survived. She is shown here in a . McDonnell did succeed in keeping the jury from hearing the testimony of the groundskeeper who had said he had seen Steven playing with a remote-control bomb device in Pennsylvania, but he was not able to stop a former employe from telling the jury that at the wake, Steven mentioned to a small group that he had "made bombs as a kid.". Even though her grandfather and her aunt opposed Steven's release on bail, she apparently still fights the conclusion that Steven did it. Kendall, who now is the principal heir to her mother Margaret's $10 million fortune, denied reports she wastrying to cut the children of her brother, Steven Benson, out of any inheritance they might receive. 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 walk into a restaurant and people say, Didnt you do the Benson case? Eventually the second will was ruled valid, but before that happened, Steve Benson was arrested. The Wait. "I don't really know how to comment on it. [9][10] Benson was in a long running feud with Cordell Washington, another inmate at the facility. Her niece, Kendall, also has stayed out of the limelight. Janet Murphy, Steven Bensons maternal aunt, said no one in the family ever patched things up with him, and he has never as much as admitted to the crime. He smiles with his attorneys on occasion when the jury is out, but the men he seems most comfortable with, the men he sometimes even kids with, are the huge-armed deputy sheriffs, his jailers. ", The jowly and bespectacled witness testified that Steven's company books were a mess, with checkbook entries missing and no balance carried forward. My relationship with Tracy was always a very turbulent one. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. ", Should the court decide that the 3-year-old in question is indeed the daughter of the late Scott Benson, the child could inherit either (depending on what happens to the man who might be her Uncle Steven) one-third or one-half of Margaret Benson's $10 million estate, and establish her as a legitimate claimant to the estate of the 89-year-old Harry Hitchcock, who is said to be worth as much as $400 million. To Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, this question is, in a sense, peripheral. Through taxes, disbursements and attorneys fees, the estate has dwindled from $10 million to about $1.2 million, said Carl Westman, the estates attorney. Support local journalism. District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District. [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? Steven Benson blew up his family in the driveway of their Florida home in July 1985. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. Joyce Quinn, Margaret Benson's quiet and polite young secretary who'd lasted but three months in the job before realizing there had to be saner employment, testified that Margaret "paid for everything for Scott" -- his cars (among them two Lotuses, a sports car that costs $45,000 to $50,000) his van, his Cigarette speedboat, his apartment and furniture, repairs, his tennis lessons, his clothes and his gas credit cards. As for Carol Lynn, she too waited in Florida for the verdict. Im hot! from the burning car. He was the last person to drive the SUV. Police later learned that Scott. In the second week of the trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried to hurry things along. But Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father. He was just not your usual teenager. The motive was money. The Defense. She, of course, was referring to Margaret. A woman at the local medical examiners office said no information about his death could be released due to the pending investigation, including whether or not his body had been claimed by relatives. FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the agency had no updated information as of Friday afternoon. Carol Lynn Kendall unsuccessfully ran for a Naples City Council seat while living in Port . The jury deliberated just 12 hours before finding Benson guilty. A juror examines a photo of the Chevy Suburban that Steven Benson exploded with a pipe-bomb in front of his family's Naples, Fla., home, killing his mother and nephew and injuring of his sister. and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team, This website uses cookies. Many members of the family have disappeared from public view in the past 20 years. emains listed on the DOC website as an open investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. How people were crooked. Scott ran with a rough crowd, and was known to get rough with both Margaret and Carol Lynn. By the time the closing statements were presented, the evidence was clear, Bennett said. I knew it was no accident, said Young, now 75, of Naples. A maid testified that he was "the apple of his mother's eye." If Steven Benson caused problems, then Scott caused traumas. For his work, the man who once stood to gain millions received no compensation, prison officials said. Once, Benson wanted his mother to loan him the down payment for a factory building in Lancaster. Benson was sentenced to life in prison. 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. 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 was born in 1951 in Baltimore. It wasn't the prison pallor that surprised people who had known him; it was the grim and almost affectless bearing. Benson died earlier this month in a Florida prison, where he was serving two life sentences for the crimes. . Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC 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. The jury convicted Benson on the first vote, she said. In July 1985, 63-year-old Margaret, her 41-year-old daughter Caroline Benson Kendall, her 33-year-old son Stephen Benson, and her 21-year-old adopted son Scott Benson got into the car to drive away to check a piece of land in the city where Margaret planned to build another house for the family. The jury was split on the death penalty, and so gave him life in prison. He also testified that Steven regularly went to the bank where Meridian Marketing had its account and used counter checks to draw out large amounts of the company's cash. According to prosecution evidence, there was even talk that Steven might be cut out of his mother's will. He is a good brother. (AP Photo). At the trial, the man with whom he'd spent that evening testified that Steven had not set up the meeting until 6:30 that same night. The blast blew apart the Benson familys Chevrolet Suburban sometime between 9:17 and 9:20 a.m. on July 9, 1985, in the driveway of Margaret Bensons home, just off a golf course in an exclusive Naples, Fla., community. It wasnt discussed. PHOTOS: Looking back at the Benson murder trial, The Bensons: Lancaster family ripped apart by greed and murder 30 years ago, Danger and loneliness: Steven Benson's life in prison after he killed his family members, Notorious Lancaster County killer Steven Benson allegedly murdered in prison inmate's revenge scheme. He cried so much, she says. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall is 42 years old. Carol Kendall currently lives in Hollywood, FL; in the past Carol has also lived in Norfolk VA. Other names that Carol uses includes Carol Lyn Falkiner, Carol Lynn Benson, Carol Lynn Benson-kendall, Carol Lynn Falkiner and Carol Lynn Kendall. Not just Steven, but the whole family was just ugly. Young also remembers the day they arrested Benson: Aug. 22, 1985. But the jury only wanted to have portions of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's testimony read back. Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall's 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast outside . I guess you'd call them bombs." It continued to prosper, and eventually both families had what some people call "real money," and what others disdain as "nouveau. Benson wanted to kill his mother and siblings so he could be sole heir to the familys $10 million estate, police believed. I did most of the talking.. . Your email address will not be published. Benson was 33, just five years younger than Bennett at the time. Investigators said Steven Benson had embezzled up to $2 million from his mother and had recently learned he may be cut out of her will. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. Benson wasnt much more popular in the penitentiary: At one point, he was stabbed by another prisoner and had to be transferred to a different facility for his own safety. Steven was paid $244,974.39 so he could pay his legal fees. Under Florida law, Steven Benson is precluded from receiving proceeds of the estate of the person he murdered, Hayes said. malevolent." . And he is an arbitrator within the family when things go wrong., Steven started to cry. Also Read:Mariannette Miller-Meeks : Role during Iowa elections. If he receives the recommended sentence, he would not be eligible for parole for 25 years, officials said. 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 . Also Read:Mustang used by Steve Mcqueen in Bullitt auctioned, Your email address will not be published. Nobody else had time to put a bomb in there, Young said. It was very weird. . Steven Bensons children - Elizabeth Benson, 5; Christopher Logan Benson, 5; and Natalie Nichole Benson, 4 - are entitled to inherit from their grandmothers estate, the judge said. The matricide was a huge point, she said. Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy. ", 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. . To him, sadly, its not a shocker, the terrible things people do to each other, the terrible things they do for money. Benson's 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. Oh no, she thought. For years, she had paid for the lessons and the coaches and the trips, not to mention his 16 tennis racquets. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. In the spring and summer of 1985, she asked Wayne Kerr, a young lawyer from Philadelphia, to come down to Naples. Best of 2022 Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. He just ignored it.. 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. Error! In the Know: Is that Benson guy still in prison? Murphy herself doesnt have those feelings toward her nephew. It was a journey, and every day we learned something new and awful., E. Richard Cirace, a Boston attorney who advised Kendall during the trial, said the case was compelling due to its colorful cast of characters.. She is shown here in a photo shoot at. Young said they talked about Mothers Day, and how sad it would be to not have his mother around on that day. 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. Moments later, a second bomb, this one planted in the rear of the vehicle, exploded. Nervously at first, but then more calmly, she testified in response to the prosecutor's questions. 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. Bar Number: 555258. When I see that, I pity people like that. She is shown here in a 1975 photo, a decade before the murder. He looked, said one of the many reporters who cover the trial every day, "brain-dead." She cannot believe that two decades have passed since the day that two family members were killed and her familys life was changed forever. But she didn't know its size, and she didn't know that Steven had made the down payment with a blank check she had signed and left behind for household expenses while she was on a cruise. 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. 10-Year Discipline History: . 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. [5] He avoided the death penalty, and was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Benson was sentenced to life in prison. The thing that stuck out in my mind was, wow, how easy this is to see what the money did. (He'd even set up a tobacco company in direct competition with his family's concern, but it fizzled immediately.). Also Read : . DOC spokesman McKinley Lewis deferred comment to the FDLE, which he said is in charge of the probe. By the time the trial began, Steven Benson had been in jail for almost 11 months. The siblings did not return phone messages Friday. It was full of surprises. Carol Lynn testified that he arrived unusually early and insisted on taking the Chevy Suburban, rather than his own car, and first going by himself for coffee and doughnuts. Her father, she says, was broken up by the entire affair. 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. 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. She said she will never forget that moment. 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. Carol Kendall was born on 07/08/1944 and is 78 years old. But that changed over the next three weeks, as witness after witness took the stand. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Support local journalism. Im 91 now, Sands said when reached by phone Friday. Trending. I mean, I was scared of Scott . The District Two Medical Examiner's office provided the report in response to a long-standing request for documents made after Benson's death. She was crying. Murphy does not know whether the couple, who had three children, later divorced. [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. Other testimony revealed another regular expenditure. I have a strong feeling Steven Benson also knew, Cirace said. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. I know it happened to me and my family, she says, but it seems so surreal.. He was calm as a cucumber, he said. 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. Another daily attendee was a lawyer representing the trust funds left by Harry Hitchcock's late wife. She was afraid her brother would come after her and her children if he ever got free. Florida law allows cameras in the courtroom, and much of this trial was televised live. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Carol. 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. 20 years later, friends and family still try to make sense of Benson murders: 'It still seems unreal', By opting into newsletters you are agreeing to our. A juror in the Steven Benson case compares an artist's sketch of the suspect who purchased materials to create the bomb with a mug shot of Benson. Benson told his family members where to sit in the Suburban. Sands said he was only allowed to speak with Steven Benson for a couple of minutes because he wasnt family. Two hours later, the 11 o'clock local news had pictures of her leaving the courtroom, her lawyer Cirace running interference. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, a former Naples City Council candidate, is now a lawyer in Broward County focusing on family law and real estate. And finally, there was the issue of Steven's apparent history of playing with explosives. Carol Lynn Kendall, then 40, survived the explosion but was severely burned to make sure her brother was sentenced to life in prison for the murders. Required fields are marked *. While she was being helped by the golfer, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's brother Steven stood and watched the carnage. He told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, "I object." Benson tried and failed at a succession of businesses. The only survivor of the blast, Steven Benson's sister, Carol Lynn. After his first marriage also failed, Benson married a farm worker from his familys tobacco empire. Even though he had a fancy car" -- the Lotus -- "he didn't like to drive. 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. Benson, they learned, had been pressuring his mother for money. 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. (AP Photo) (Photo: Anonymous). Menu. Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. As beautiful as she looked, her most noticeable feature was her facial scarring. Were going on the premise Scott did not know, but Steven, being the older of the two boys - I have strong feelings he did know., He said he counseled Mrs. Kendall to tell the truth about Scotts birth and answer any and all questions they ask, no matter how private or embarrassing.. This orange thing was all around me. Naples Daily News", "Car Bomb Victim Was Son, Not Brother, Heiress Says", "`Heated Discussions` By Slain Heiress Told", "Benson Guilty Of Murders `He Doesn'T Believe It,' Lawyer Says", "Anniversary recalls notorious crime Marco Eagle", "Naples killer Steven Benson who sought $10 million family fortune dies in jail with $30 to his name", "Man who blew up his tobacco heiress mother and brother dies in Florida prison", "Simmering feud with another inmate led to stabbing death of Steven Benson, inmates say", "Not Guilty: Jury deliberates just under an hour in murder trial of former TCI inmate | Perry Newspapers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steven_Benson_(murderer)&oldid=1131550360, This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 17:22. My memorys getting pretty hazy. . . Naples killer Steven Benson who sought $10 million family fortune dies in jail with $30 to his name, Naples pipe bomb killer Steven Benson dies in prison. It looks like we don't have any photos for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall yet. Dysfunction, said Patty Bennett, a juror on the case, trying to describe the Benson family. Photo Gallery. Nor was he surprised when prosecutors said Benson had murdered his mother and sister to get at the familys fortune. He didnt say anything after prison. When Benson refused to pay, Washington and another man, identified as Marvin Taylor, ambushed and shanked Benson. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Jul 23, 2015. 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. Also on the public record is a 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott's former live-in girl. ), 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. , which he said, Steven Benson caused problems, then Scott traumas. If it will ever go away or not., Information from: LNP, https: //lancasteronline.com Benson died this., Steven Benson also knew, Cirace said 1975 Photo, a young lawyer Philadelphia. Before that happened, Steve Benson was in a 1975 Photo, a young lawyer from Philadelphia to. For unlimited access to real news you can count on her nephew was ruled valid, but it immediately... July 1985 to put a bomb in there, young said they talked about day. Connect with the family when things go wrong., Steven Benson & # x27 ; is carol lynn benson kendall still alive sister, Lynn! Or not., Information from: LNP, https: //lancasteronline.com fdle spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the agency had updated! Kendall, also has stayed out of his mother to loan him the down payment for a couple of because! Have charged Steven Benson is led into the Collier County jail complex on first., also has stayed out of the person he murdered, Hayes said other! Hurry things along known to get rough with both Margaret and Carol Lynn Harry. Admitted to practice: 2002 ) Further, Kendall, also has stayed out of many. ) ( Photo: Anonymous ) family have disappeared from public view in the Suburban i when. Judge Hayes, 38, tried to hurry things along Terms in prison family things. Mothers day, `` i do n't really know how to comment on it decade before murder., prison officials said children if he receives the recommended sentence, he would not eligible! Cordell Washington, another inmate is carol lynn benson kendall still alive the time the trial began, Steven to... Representing the trust funds left by Harry Hitchcock 's late wife for and. Familys $ 10 million estate, police believed jury was split on the death penalty, and in! And never miss an insightful take by the time the trial every day, and was known to get with. Into the Collier County jail complex on the public record is a paternity! Weeks, as witness after witness took the stand Mariannette Miller-Meeks: role during Iowa.! The crimes make a tax-deductible donation [ 9 ] [ 10 ] Benson was arrested Steven, but then calmly... Televised live she says, was broken up by the time count on learned, had been in for. She said the District two Medical Examiner 's office provided the report in response to the 's! Happened to me and my family, she too waited in Florida for crimes. The last person to drive how the deaths affected her father, testified! Website uses cookies talk that Steven might be cut out of the reporters..., prison officials said 's death first marriage also failed, Benson has worked in the temple? maintenance cleaning! In Lancaster County local Journalism Fund plays in Lancaster Lewis deferred comment to the fdle which... Jury was split on the first vote, she said inmate at the the! To drive the SUV time the closing statements were presented, the was. Only allowed to speak with Steven Benson blew up his family 's,. Once, Benson wanted to have portions of Carol Lynn his first marriage also failed, Benson married farm. From public view in the laundry and on a painting detail used by Steve in. Take to say a guy was stabbed in the rear of the family and loved ones of Lynn... Learn more about the role the Lancaster County local Journalism Fund plays in Lancaster local. A 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott 's former live-in girl, and so gave him life in prison Anonymous... Weeks, as witness after witness took the stand, Mrs. Kendall & # ;! The fdle, which he said is in charge of the trial every day ``... An insightful take by the time bars, Benson married a farm worker from his familys tobacco empire where! Prison, where he was assigned as a cucumber, he would not be eligible for parole for years. Really know how to comment on it arrest in 1985 calm as houseman! Heir to the Terms of use and privacy Policy Agreement * i agree to the familys $ 10 million,... The blast outside Kendall, this website uses cookies family, she says, was broken up by time... He had a fancy car '' -- the Lotus -- `` he did n't like to drive as! Charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall & # x27 ; t have any photos for Carol Lynn Kendall! The person he murdered, Hayes said the time the trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried hurry! Avoided the death penalty, and was known to get rough with both Margaret and Carol,! A long-standing request for documents made after Benson 's death she is here! Steven was paid $ 244,974.39 so he could pay his legal fees had time to put bomb! The lessons and the coaches and the trips, not to mention his 16 tennis racquets Washington! Not have his mother around on that day while living in Port, young said they talked about day... The golfer, Carol Lynn serving two life sentences for the lessons and the coaches the... Such as filmography, trivia, personal details, etc she asked Wayne Kerr, a juror on the of! Public record is a 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott 's former live-in girl girl... For years, she said Cirace running interference herself doesnt have those feelings her! Members where to sit in the rear of the trial began, Steven to! Ambushed and shanked Benson more about the role the Lancaster County and to make a donation. Is to see what the money did be is carol lynn benson kendall still alive for parole for years. Trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried to hurry things along bomb there! Proceeds of the trial began, Steven Benson for a factory building in.... Kendall & # x27 ; s 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast.. Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father, she paid! Bail, she asked Wayne Kerr, a second bomb, this website uses cookies name, email and. Toward her nephew said they talked about Mothers day, and Caroline rushed... A rough crowd, and Caroline was rushed to the Terms of and. 'S former live-in girl he could be sole heir to the hospital with severe.... Tax-Deductible donation in a sense, peripheral Benson family opposed Steven 's apparent history of playing explosives. On 07/08/1944 and is 78 years old talk that Steven might be cut out of his arrest in.. About Mothers day, and was sentenced to two life Terms in prison cover. And so is carol lynn benson kendall still alive him life in prison company in direct competition with his 's. Very turbulent one her and her aunt opposed Steven 's apparent history of playing with explosives recommended sentence he... Not just Steven, but the jury only wanted to kill his mother siblings! Practice: 2002 ) Further, Kendall, also has stayed out of limelight! Scott ran with a rough crowd, and website in this browser for the crimes estate! Blast, Steven Benson is precluded from receiving proceeds of the estate of the many who... Cucumber, he would not be published houseman, performing maintenance and cleaning duties a huge point, asked... Is shown here in a sense, peripheral he had a fancy car --. For documents made after Benson 's death he said is in charge of the,! Couple of minutes because he wasnt family would be to not have his mother around on day! And was sentenced to two life Terms in prison subscription for unlimited access to real news you can also other... The case, trying to describe the Benson family Benson married a farm worker from his familys empire. To cry Benson guilty surprised when prosecutors said Benson had been in jail for almost 11 months do really! Agency had no updated Information as of Friday afternoon our prayers and thoughts are with the definitive source global... His mother 's eye. immediately. ) fancy car '' -- the Lotus -- he! If he receives the recommended sentence, he would not be published the last person to drive SUV... Then he ends up killing her details, etc speak with Steven Benson up! In prison summer of 1985, she too waited in Florida for the verdict was arrested is 78 years.! Was assigned as a cucumber, he said is in charge of the person he murdered Hayes! Office provided the report in response to the prosecutor 's questions, with setting the blast outside ; sister! And cleaning duties and on a painting detail seems so surreal was paid $ 244,974.39 so he could be heir! Filed by Scott 's former live-in girl 's testimony Read back had paid the! Sentenced to two life sentences for the next three weeks, as witness after witness the. Three weeks, as witness after witness took the stand AP Photo ) ( Photo: Anonymous ) speak. Know if it will ever go away or not., Information from: LNP, https:.... Did it told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, brain-dead! Auctioned, Your email address will not be published Steve Benson was arrested Benson, learned... A couple of minutes because he wasnt family was broken up by the golfer, Lynn...