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 said they talked about Mothers Day, and how sad it would be to not have his mother around on that day. Albert Gleason, a federal explosives expert, testifies about the pipe-bomb Steven Benson used to kill his family members on July 9, 1985, in front of their Naples, Fla., home. Benson never bothering to wash his mothers blood spatters from the side of his white van, which he had parked near the blown-apart Suburban, and which he was still driving on the day police showed up to arrest him for the killings, a month and a half later. Cirace said the rumors were never confirmed until Steven Bensons lawyers questioned Mrs. Kendall about it, to test her credibility. "Sharp force head trauma. Eventually the second will was ruled valid, but before that happened, Steve Benson was arrested. By the time Sands met Benson, the young man had graduated from college and was trying to find his way in the world, without much success. Steven Benson denied all requests for media interviews. She hardly looked at her brother, but when she testified about Scott Benson, she called him "my son. Young also remembers the day they arrested Benson: Aug. 22, 1985. Scott was an aspiring tennis professional, but apparently the aspirations were Margaret's rather than his. In the second half of 2015, there were close to 200 inmate deaths in Florida's prisons. He had been driving it all that time, he said. Through taxes, disbursements and attorneys fees, the estate has dwindled from $10 million to about $1.2 million, said Carl Westman, the estates attorney. As for Carol Lynn, she too waited in Florida for the verdict. 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. If he receives the recommended sentence, he would not be eligible for parole for 25 years, officials said. emains listed on the DOC website as an open investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In August 1986, Margaret Bensons son, Steven Wayne Benson, was convicted in the slaying of his mother and her adopted son, Scott R. Benson, 21. How it wasnt run correctly. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. People had suspicions as to why, after having two children of her own, all of a sudden Mrs. Benson adopts a third.. His company prospered, and he became one of the best-liked civic and charitable figures in Lancaster, Pa., a lovely area surrounded by Amish farms. Carol 's cause of death is unknown to us at this time. Kendall's mother and son, Scott, were killed in the blast and Kendall, a resident of suburban Chestnut Hill, was seriously injured. Benson was convicted of killing his mother and nephew and injuring his sister with a car-bomb on July 9, 1985. Murphys nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to escape the fiery blast that day. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Disbarred . Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. In the spring and summer of 1985, she asked Wayne Kerr, a young lawyer from Philadelphia, to come down to Naples. District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District. I knew it was no accident, said Young, now 75, of Naples. Attorney (s) appearing for the Case It continued to prosper, and eventually both families had what some people call "real money," and what others disdain as "nouveau. My memorys getting pretty hazy. Dwight Brock was an assistant state attorney in Florida, specializing in white collar crime, when Steven Benson was arrested. There was a brief flurry of excitement when the foreman knocked on the door only two hours later. He never looked at anybody, says Murphy, who sat right behind Benson during the trial. Something is wrong with Daddy. ", When they got back to Naples, Margaret told Steven she wanted to meet with him and Kerr that evening and "talk business." Related story: Naples pipe bomb killer Steven Benson dies in prison. "I couldn't understand why he wasn't coming over to help me," she testified to a packed but dead silent courtroom. doesn't have anything to do with my mother anymore.". Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation? I guess he didnt want him to go to hell.. 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 Benson, convicted in 1986 of murdering his mother and adopted brother, died in July at Taylor Correctional Institution in northern Florida. Nor was he surprised when prosecutors said Benson had murdered his mother and sister to get at the familys fortune. Benson was 33, just five years younger than Bennett at the time. He returned and got everyone into the Suburban and then went back into the house to retrieve a tape measure. He wont admit any wrong hes ever done, including the murder., Benson seemed, he says, like a man who was in there, but didnt know why he was in there. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. I dont think he believed he belonged in there.. One pulled Kendall, who was screaming, Im hot! Benson, they learned, had been pressuring his mother for money. He just wouldnt respond to it, Sands says. Steven Benson turned gray behind bars and died, to little fanfare. I dont know if it will ever go away or not., Information from: LNP, https://lancasteronline.com. 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. 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. [citation needed] The case was featured in Great Crimes and Trials and Infamous Murders. 10-Year Discipline History: . "), Near the end of his testimony, he said he had finally told Margaret Benson, "You have to stop being a bank for your children." It was obvious he was spending his mothers money on himself and his family, Brock said. On the morning of the blast, prosecutors said, Benson drove the vehicle shortly before the explosion, allegedly to get doughnuts at a nearby convenience store. Shortly before his death in 1990, Harry Hitchcock the owner of Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co. asked a longtime family employee, gardener Amos Sands, to visit his grandson in prison on his behalf. Not Eligible to Practice Law in Florida . An autopsy report obtained by the Naples Daily News indicates the cause of death was a stab to the right temple. Its still fresh in my memory, he said. Carol Lynn testified that she thought Scott's being there was a "silly request. And so he appears very much alone. 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 was crying. and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team, This website uses cookies. He worked in the laundry. 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. Then the jurors filed out and the door closed behind them once again. That she was once a beauty contest winner is easy to see. "I don't really know how to comment on it. 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. 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. It was just a tragic story. 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. Patty Bennett was a nervous mother of two boys sitting in a jury box when the defense gave its opening statement about Steven Benson. 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. 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. Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during the trial of her brother, Steven Benson, during his 1986 trial. Im 91 now, Sands said when reached by phone Friday. [9][10] Benson was in a long running feud with Cordell Washington, another inmate at the facility. You know, he wouldnt say yes or no or nothing. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during the trial of her brother, Steven Benson, during his 1986 trial. He had very few visitors. 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. I think it was the dumbest murder I ever solved that had been planned. Puncture wound of right temple made by a sharpened instrument ('shank')," the report states. Final arguments took place yesterday and the jury began its deliberations, 13 months after the killings of Margaret and Scott Benson. Some who knew him werent really surprised. Most recently, he was assigned as a houseman, performing maintenance and cleaning duties. Harold Young, the lead Collier County sheriff's detective who pegged Benson as his primary suspect the day of the killings, said he is more surprised by the length of the investigation than the way Benson died. The jury deliberated just 12 hours before finding Benson guilty. But what is apparently harder is that she has to face the death of Scott Benson, who died at the age of 21 without ever knowing that the woman he thought was his much older sister, by adoption, was in fact his own natural mother. He told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, "I object." That seemed more important to him than his family lying all over the golf course.. ), 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. According to prosecution evidence, there was even talk that Steven might be cut out of his mother's will. Bar Number: 555258. Benson was also charged with the attempted first-degree murder of his sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. Lancaster was the hometown of the wealthy Benson family and the case received coverage . Other testimony revealed another regular expenditure. ", 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. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a Sept. 22 court order. Landscaping. Well, he thought he knew everything and he was brilliant in many ways, Sands says, but there was a lot of things that didnt make any sense.. Maybe it was the money, the power and the greed, they say. Steven Benson is led into the Collier County jail complex on the day of his arrest in 1985. There was an error processing your request. 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. The Chevrolet Suburban was blown all to bits and pieces, with a body lying out on each side.. 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. Attorneys representing Steven Benson, 36, and Margaret Benson's daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 43, said they both probably will appeal Monday's ruling. That's a negative as far as the jury is concerned. I guess you'd call them bombs." Benson tried and failed at a succession of businesses. Before the day was over, according to newspaper accounts, Steven had asked for and received a loan of $20,000 from his grandfather. Scott tried to start the vehicle, she testified, "and immediately after that I was surrounded by this orange thing.". We learned about the passing of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on May 23, 2022. Office: 954-789-0834. Error! She said, I want to know where all the money went. She wanted to see the books. She thought he had been embezzling family funds and had called her attorney to check into it. 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. Also Read : . And he is an arbitrator within the family when things go wrong., Steven started to cry. I did most of the talking.. The Daughter and Her Son. Moments later there was a loud explosion. His grandson never acknowledged him again, not even when he came to Florida for the trial. It all came back to him.. 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. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, a former Naples City Council candidate, is now a lawyer in Broward County focusing on family law and real estate. 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. It was her sister, Margaret, 63, and her nephew, Scott, 21, who had died in a horrific car explosion in Florida. And what Benson was doing was spending the money, lots of it, for all kinds of things, including a house in Fort Myers and a car. Collier County's most notorious killer himself met with a violent end. 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. Benson told Young that he and his family were going to look at piece of property where his mother wanted to build a home that morning. As the lead investigator in the Collier County Sheriffs Department, Harold Young was one of the first people to answer the call about a bombing at Margaret Bensons home in a gated golf course community on the morning of July 9, 1985. However, according to a veteran Florida criminal attorney, "any time in a murder case when a defendant without a prior record fails to take the stand, it looks bad. The Money. In addition to the fatal wound to the head, Associate Medical Examiner Anthony Clark noted a puncture wound to the left scalp and multiple bruises on Benson's torso, upper and lower extremities. 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. The judge made the sentences consecutive, in accordance with Bensons sisters wishes. 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. Just follow the money, and you could see what he was doing.. Prosecutors said it showed that while Carol Lynn owed her mother $118,560.33, Steven's IOU was $268,163.89. I can see what money can do when people get so tied up in self, he says. Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall's 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast outside . He was always doing things but never getting anything accomplished, Sands recalls. 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. It looks like we don't have any photos for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall yet. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay restitution of $1,075 to one client. ", She said that Steven had called her the night before the bombing to make sure that both she and Scott would be coming along in the morning when he planned to stake the dimensions of his mother's new lot. Real estate. Oh no, she thought. After her testimony, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall was nowhere to be seen. When Sands heard that Benson had been pressuring his mother for money shortly before her death, he was not surprised. He seldom looked at Steven.The defendant watched his grandfather enter the courtroom, but after that he never looked at him. 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. ", 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. And Steven usually drove when we were together. Benson was sentenced to life in prison. He was the last person to drive the SUV. Left-Wing Meloni: Italys Attempt to Replicate Giorgia Meloni, Europe is dumping its migrants in Africa in exchange of money, Mariannette Miller-Meeks : Role during Iowa elections, Mustang used by Steve Mcqueen in Bullitt auctioned, Mexicos constitutional crisis has its roots in Washington, The EU-Mercosur Deal: Macrons Duplicity Unveiled, Paraguay declares Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. Benson said he first went to get coffee and doughnuts at a nearby store. 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Beauty contest winner is easy to see when reached by phone Friday be cut out his! //Insideeko.Com/Carol-Lynn-Benson-Kendall-Obituary-D/ insideeko.com but everyone agreed that she had done so well, it is carol lynn benson kendall still alive cut. A houseman, performing maintenance and cleaning duties family, Brock said young from..., they learned, had been pressuring his mother for money [ citation ]... County jail complex on the DOC website as an open investigation led by Florida! Showed that while Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during the trial a spectacle for the time. Benson dies in prison Brock was an aspiring tennis professional, but apparently the were. Team, this website uses cookies of Florida, second district cut out of his mother and brother... Wayne Kerr, a young lawyer from Philadelphia, to test her credibility,. Were close to 200 inmate deaths in Florida for the trial a nervous of... Does n't have anything to do with my mother anymore. `` the Florida Department of Law..
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