Indeed, Margaret Benson did change her will, but in a terribly ironic touch, the only change was to cut out Wayne Kerr as executor. My memorys getting pretty hazy. ", Once all was set, she testified, Steven handed Scott the keys, and then said he had forgotten something and headed back toward the house. ", 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. The Lancaster tobacco heir was convicted after a monthlong trial that was carried on Florida television, drew national headlines and spurred books and intense media coverage both here and in Florida. Its almost like its unbelievable, Murphy said today. For his work, the man who once stood to gain millions received no compensation, prison officials said. 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. That's a negative as far as the jury is concerned. Thats the whole thing: self, self, self and me, me, me and me. Steven Benson blew up his mother and brother, and tried to kill his sister, to get a $10 million fortune. Thats the way Steve was.. Steven Benson is serving two life sentences at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Fla. In the second half of 2015, there were close to 200 inmate deaths in Florida's prisons. He was a strange fellow, says Sands, who worked as a landscaper for Bensons late grandfather, Hitchcock. I know it happened to me and my family, she says, but it seems so surreal.. Shocked by the attack, she says that since then, her siblings have been completely uninterested in her physical and emotional well-being. Attorneys representing Steven Benson, 36, and Margaret Benson's daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 43, said they both probably will appeal Monday's ruling. He found Steven Benson inside his mothers house, talking on a telephone. 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. The judge did another unusual thing. 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. Benson has had his share of problems behind bars. 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. 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. Murphys father, Harry Hitchcock, was fine. 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.. Bensons aunt, for one, is glad her nephew is behind bars for likely the rest of his life. The Chevrolet Suburban was blown all to bits and pieces, with a body lying out on each side.. Another daily attendee was a lawyer representing the trust funds left by Harry Hitchcock's late wife. Toxicology tests showed no drugs in Benson's system, the report states. 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. The star of the show by far was Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. All but 30 remain open investigations. Is Carol Lynn Benson Kendall still alive? [9][10] Benson was in a long running feud with Cordell Washington, another inmate at the facility. When Benson refused to pay, Washington and another man, identified as Marvin Taylor, ambushed and shanked Benson. But Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father. Last Known Contact Information. Not Eligible to Practice Law in Florida . Murphys nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to escape the fiery blast that day. One pulled Kendall, who was screaming, Im hot! It looks like we don't have any photos for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall yet. 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. Error! Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. But Kendall, who was injured. The killings, prosecutors said, were sparked by one motive. It wasn't the prison pallor that surprised people who had known him; it was the grim and almost affectless bearing. He had retained Naples attorney Michael McDonnell. When he returned, they said, he prepared to join his family to look at a piece of land his mother had bought. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Many members of the family have disappeared from public view in the past 20 years. How people were crooked. That day, she and Wayne Kerr drove to Fort Myers, and when she saw Steven's new house, and the new Datsun sports car parked in front, she was, as Kerr testified, "angry. Carol Lynn later had a brief marriage -- to a water-skier from Cypress Gardens -- with whom she had two sons. This jail cell is similar to the ones in which Steven Benson spent the last 30 years in the Florida prison system, serving two life sentences for murdering his mother and brother, and trying to murder his sister, in a 1985 pipe bomb explosion to get his hands on his family's $10 million tobacco company fortune. And then, at the last minute, he went back into the house, supposedly because he had forgotten a tape measure. 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. Thats how Margaret died. I never saw him cry as much as he did with the Challenger. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. Quinn, left-center, was watching the production with friend Kathleen Garvey, left, and daughter Debbie Quinn, right, as the crew worked on a production for Court TV about the 1985 murders of tobacco heiress Margaret Benson and her son Scott. He will be eligible for parole when he is 85. There was an error processing your request. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Bennett heard how the bombs were assembled, with nails and tacks put inside them so they would do the most damage. Benson was also charged with the attempted first-degree murder of his sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. Murphy herself doesnt have those feelings toward her nephew. The chief prosecutor, Jerry Brock, argued she had made conflicting statements in earlier depositions. She sat in the front row, not directly behind Steven, but on the other side -- in one of the seats reserved for the prosecution. 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?. Success! When Sands heard that Benson had been pressuring his mother for money shortly before her death, he was not surprised. Young said they talked about Mothers Day, and how sad it would be to not have his mother around on that day. Then, as they got into the car, Caroline noticed Stephen asking them to get in. Im hot! from the burning car. In the spring and summer of 1985, she asked Wayne Kerr, a young lawyer from Philadelphia, to come down to Naples. It wasnt very long at all. ", When they got back to Naples, Margaret told Steven she wanted to meet with him and Kerr that evening and "talk business." He was born in 1951 in Baltimore. The bills were sent to and paid for by Margaret. 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. Nervously at first, but then more calmly, she testified in response to the prosecutor's questions. 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.". By July 8, the day before the bombing, Margaret had learned of Steven's new house in Fort Myers, according to testimony. An autopsy report obtained by the Naples Daily News indicates the cause of death was a stab to the right temple. His second wife Debra was not in the courtroom, or even in Florida. 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. He had very few visitors. Benson was 33, just five years younger than Bennett at the time. Inmates told investigators that Washington planned to extort $1,000 from Benson within days after arriving at Taylor Correctional Institution. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Benson is also featured in an episode of the New Detectives entitled "Short Fuse" (Season 2, Episode 3) and an episode of Florida Man Murders entitled "Killer Succession" (Season 1, Episode 3). [13] 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. 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 doesnt know for sure why Benson has stuck with the public, and with him, all these years. District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District. ", 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. 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. Margaret and Scott died instantly, and Caroline was rushed to the hospital with severe burns. It was the O.J. Murphy s nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to. As the trial date neared (there were several postponements before it finally began July 14) it became obvious that the large amounts of money involved meant that there would be a lot of lawyers on both sides of the courtroom trial. Prosecutors said it showed that while Carol Lynn owed her mother $118,560.33, Steven's IOU was $268,163.89. I walk into a restaurant and people say, Didnt you do the Benson case? He is a good brother. 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. The Defense. This orange thing was all around me. 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. We learned about the passing of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on May 23, 2022. he asked. The next day, Wayne Kerr, at whose wedding Steven Benson had been the best man, took the stand. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay restitution of $1,075 to one client. Just follow the money, and you could see what he was doing.. Movies. He complimented the jury for its "staying power," but that didn't stop him from holding court all day Saturday, too. 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. 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. 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. 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. I told my wife after we left, I said, Its funny he can see the problems everywhere but in his own life, Sands says. 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. The matricide was a huge point, she said. She wanted an accounting and, if it had to be, a confrontation with Steven. Born on Christmas Day 1963 in a Baltimore hospital to Carol Lynn Benson, then an unmarried teen-ager, he was adopted by Margaret and Edward 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. But showing little emotion after that. "I don't really know how to comment on it. She suffered first-degree burns on her face and hands in the explosion and is still undergoing extensive reconstructive surgery. Just sort of odd, very different.. The explosion was so loud that golfers ran off the course to see what had happened. Its been decades since his trial attracted attention, though TV specials still pop up on cable channels from time to time. Also Read : . (A later witness, who worked for Meridian Marketing, said Steven never bothered to tell the employes when he had done this, "and we were always bouncing checks when we'd paid bills with money we thought we had in the bank. Landscaping. Your email address will not be published. Hed claimed he had no money to pay his attorneys, so he claimed indigency -- and Judge Hayes approved the claim. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. The Miami Herald gave the following account of a groundskeeper who worked on Margaret Benson's Pennsylvania estate: He recalled that one day in 1982 he looked down from his ladder to see Steven carrying three copper tubes with wires protruding from them. 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.. He is a good son. 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.. 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. And there was lots of squabbling over who got what. 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. 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. Hitchcocks daughter, Margaret, it turned out, was not really the mother of Scott Benson. "How long does it take to say a guy was stabbed in the temple?" Her daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, was injured. But the jury only wanted to have portions of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's testimony read back. Reached Friday about her brothers death, she said, I really have no comment.. He was born in 1951 in Baltimore. But everyone agreed that she had done so well, it might be unwise to risk a second appearance. He just kept a straight face.. 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. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Death, Obituary pending- Carol Lynn Benson Kendall has reportedly passed away unexpectedly and suddenly. Sands, who spent winters in Florida, visited Benson a half a dozen times in the mid-90s. Benson, who was serving two consecutive life sentences, had last been housed at the Taylor Correctional Institution, a prison about an hour southeast of Tallahassee. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Carol. As beautiful as she looked, her most noticeable feature was her facial scarring. 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. In July 1985, 63-year-old Margaret and her 41-year-old daughter Caroline Benson Kendall, 33-year-old son Steven Benson and 21-year-old adopted son Scott Benson together Get in the car and leave to see a piece of land in the city, where Margaret plans to build another home for her family. They had a heckuva fight out of it, he says. In addition, the Benson Family murder case was the subject of The Serpent's Tooth, a 1987 book by Christopher Andersen. [5] He avoided the death penalty, and was sentenced to two life terms in prison. He was the last person to drive the SUV. 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 problems, Sands says, were all Benson wanted to talk about during the visits. There was a local uproar over the thought that the public would be paying his bills, and in mid-January the judge reversed himself. That she was once a beauty contest winner is easy to see. Then the jurors filed out and the door closed behind them once again. Beyond that, Young had little to say. I guess he didnt want him to go to hell.. The jury was left with one noticeable absence from the list of witnesses. 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. 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. 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