Lets go with disastrous hate. 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. Then you had Scott as an aspiring tennis player, but ordering nitrous oxide to be delivered to the house like some people get milk, he said, so he could carry on with his girlfriend, who was a stripper.. On Monday, the state produced a witness whose testimony left a strong impression on those spectators who had seen the trial from the beginning. But a witness for the defense, Steven's secretary, testifed Steven never left the office during the times when the pipe and end caps were purchased. Jul 23, 2015. Support local journalism. The jury deliberated just 12 hours before finding Benson guilty. 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. Those involved with the case say they are surprised at how it still resonates in peoples minds, and their own lives. The judge did another unusual thing. He just kept a straight face.. 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. He parked it and positioned his family in it. The Trustees have not presented reasonable grounds for attributing the settlors scheme to their section of the trustee exercised on November 27, 1985, following the death of Ms. Benson. It was her sister, Margaret, 63, and her nephew, Scott, 21, who had died in a horrific car explosion in Florida. The first thing he said was, Well, Steve done it, you know that. He thought that right away, Sands, now 81, remembered today. On July 11, two days after Margaret and Scott Benson were killed, Wayne Kerr, the lawyer from Philadelphia, filed a 1983 will that named him executor of the estate. 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. Hes had no contact at all.. "Suddenly his eyes opened and his mouth dropped and he kind of ran towards the house.". ", 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. "I couldn't understand why he wasn't coming over to help me," she testified to a packed but dead silent courtroom. She sat in the front row, not directly behind Steven, but on the other side -- in one of the seats reserved for the prosecution. 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. He was born in 1951 in Baltimore. And she also contradicted the wake testimony regarding bombs. Minutes later the Suburban erupted into flames. Benson, they learned, had been pressuring his mother for money. Before the day was over, according to newspaper accounts, Steven had asked for and received a loan of $20,000 from his grandfather. 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. For his work, the man who once stood to gain millions received no compensation, prison officials said. That she is now horribly scarred is obvious; large red subdermal slashes streak her face. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Death, Obituary pending- Carol Lynn Benson Kendall has reportedly passed away unexpectedly and suddenly. . Also on the public record is a 3-year-old paternity suit filed by Scott's former live-in girl. Not just Steven, but the whole family was just ugly. Her daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, was injured. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. Photo Gallery. Im 91 now, Sands said when reached by phone Friday. Steven Benson blew up his family in the driveway of their Florida home in July 1985. His grandson never acknowledged him again, not even when he came to Florida for the trial. 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. He was talking to one of his associates - the phrase How much did we take in yesterday? sticks in my head. People had suspicions as to why, after having two children of her own, all of a sudden Mrs. Benson adopts a third.. Indeed, Margaret Benson did change her will, but in a terribly ironic touch, the only change was to cut out Wayne Kerr as executor. While she was being helped by the golfer, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's brother Steven stood and watched the carnage. It was very weird. 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. Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendalls 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast outside the familys Naples, Fla., home because he believed he was about to be cut out of his mothers will. Twelve and a half hours later, almost to the minute, Harry Hitchcock's granddaughter made an equally dramatic, if brief, appearance in the courtroom. But the jury only wanted to have portions of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's testimony read back. For years, she had paid for the lessons and the coaches and the trips, not to mention his 16 tennis racquets. If Steven Benson caused problems, then Scott caused traumas. Steven Bensons late father didnt think he was capable of doing anything, Cirace said, an assessment that apparently was correct as Benson, who grew up and lived in Lancaster most of his life, left behind a series of failed business ventures. Even though her grandfather and her aunt opposed Steven's release on bail, she apparently still fights the conclusion that Steven did it. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a September 22 court order. 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. We learned about the passing of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on May 23, 2022. He said, Thats how Margaret died. The Trustees set up a trust for Kendall, a trust for Stephen, and a share for Scott. Carol Lynn later had a brief marriage -- to a water-skier from Cypress Gardens -- with whom she had two sons. Bennett heard about the money battles that were going in within the family, how Margaret Benson used money to control her children, how they fought among themselves and with her to gain access to the fortune, how Margaret Benson asked a secretary to inform and spy on Steven. On the morning of the explosion, the entire family agreed to inspect the land at Stevens suggestion. Young said, I knew he did it immediately.. And if Steven Benson walks out of the courtroom a free man, he will still be in line for a third or even a half of his mother's $10 million estate. (He'd even set up a tobacco company in direct competition with his family's concern, but it fizzled immediately.). It was just a tragic story. LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - Heres what has stuck with them for 30 years, since the day that Steven Benson blew up his family in a Chevy Suburban in the driveway of their Florida home, in a greedy attempt to inherit a $10 million Lancaster tobacco company fortune: . Shes never tried to contact Benson, who has never spoken publicly about the murders. 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. Hollywood's Carol Lynn Benson Kendall (University of Richmond School of Law, admitted to the Florida Bar 2002) got disbarred, the final step after her suspension in February and a. ), After a brief rebuttal by the prosecution, Judge Hayes let the jury go. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. After his first marriage also failed, Benson married a farm worker from his familys tobacco empire. She was not allowed to leave town, as there was the possibility that the state might put her back on the stand. The only survivor of the blast, Steven Benson's sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, testifies about the explosion and injuries she sustained. 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. Benson died earlier this month in a Florida prison, where he was serving two life sentences for the crimes. Under the law, jurors are not supposed to take this into consideration. Young, the investigator, said hes seen more horrendous cases than the Benson case, ones where people killed their children by drowning them in their mothers blood. 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.. 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. He was sobbing.. He was 63, the same age his mother was when he killed her. Error! I still get recognized, said Michael McDonnell, Bensons defense attorney, who at 74 still practices in Naples and Fort Myers. I hope he does, she said. He doesnt know for sure why Benson has stuck with the public, and with him, all these years. She suffered first-degree burns on her face and hands in the explosion and is still undergoing extensive reconstructive surgery. But that changed over the next three weeks, as witness after witness took the stand. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. 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. He cried so much, she says. ", As for the positioning of the vehicle's occupants, "I thought it was awfully strange that Scott was driving. Nobody else had time to put a bomb in there, Young said. Debra divorced Steven shortly after his August 22, 1985, arrest. In the second week of the trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried to hurry things along. Retired U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agent Frank Kendall -- no relation to Carol Lynn -- testified that the palm print Steven Benson voluntarily gave the police in the summer of 1985 and the palm print on the pipe invoice were "made by the same person." Murphy s nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to. He was stabbed in the neck in 1991 by a prisoner who was later sent to a mental hospital. To Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, this question is, in a sense, peripheral. Prosecutors linked Benson to the bomb explosion by producing a receipt, with Bensons palm print, for the purchase of pieces of pipe and end caps. 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. [11] Washington was charged with murder for killing Benson, but was acquitted. Prosecutors argued that Margaret Benson was apparently beginning to face the growing evidence that Steven was spending beyond the limits of her frequent loans and the $3,000 a month she paid him as a "consultant" to the Meridian businesses. On July 9, 1985 Benson placed a car bomb on the family car, in which Margaret, Scott, and Steven's sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, (a former Miss Florida runner-up) were waiting for Steven to join them in the vehicle when the Suburban exploded. Steven Benson is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 2, and prosecutors have asked for a life sentence. (Photo: File), Cameraman Al Durruthy records video footage of a Chevrolet Suburban outside the home of Mary Quinn, Wednesday afternoon (June 4), in the Quail Creek Estates in North Naples. Inmates told investigators that Washington planned to extort $1,000 from Benson within days after arriving at Taylor Correctional Institution. You know, he wouldnt say yes or no or nothing. How it wasnt run correctly. Shocked by the attack, she says that since then, her siblings have been completely uninterested in her physical and emotional well-being. He was the last person to drive the SUV. 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. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Carol. 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. The killings, prosecutors said, were sparked by one motive. An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup. 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. 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. 'Money is the last thing that's even on my mind.'. Represented by attorney Michael McDonnell, Steven Benson was ultimately convicted of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, and arson of a dwelling. ", After almost four hours of final argument, and another hour of his carefully read instructions, Judge Hayes gave the case to the jury at 2:06 yesterday afternoon. She is shown here in a . 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. But by late 1984 and early 1985, they argue, she was coming to the conclusion that bankrolling Steven was something less than sound. The Chevrolet Suburban was blown all to bits and pieces, with a body lying out on each side.. He just ignored it.. There were local TV stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was doing, McDonnell said. They had so much, and the family dynamic was about as whacked out as you could ask for.. Eyebrows were raised in the affluent Benson neighborhood, but Margaret prevailed and she raised the boy as her son. Amos Sands of West Donegal Township remembers the day 20 years ago today as well. [5] He avoided the death penalty, and was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Then, as they got into the car, Caroline noticed Stephen asking them to get in. Its been decades since his trial attracted attention, though TV specials still pop up on cable channels from time to time. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 42, of Brookline, Mass. Through taxes, disbursements and attorneys fees, the estate has dwindled from $10 million to about $1.2 million, said Carl Westman, the estates attorney. 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. When he returned, they said, he prepared to join his family to look at a piece of land his mother had bought. Bennett heard how the bombs were assembled, with nails and tacks put inside them so they would do the most damage. It was obvious he was spending his mothers money on himself and his family, Brock said. 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. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall is 42 years old. 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. His sister, Carol Lynn, was badly burned in the blast but survived. 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. It r Real estate. Also Read : . . He was just not your usual teenager. 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. I remember when my sister had him here was this baby and then he ends up killing her. Menu. Murphy herself doesnt have those feelings toward her nephew. In the second half of 2015, there were close to 200 inmate deaths in Florida's prisons. Electronics. Last Known Contact Information. 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. The jury was split on the death penalty, and so gave him life in prison. https://insideeko.com/carol-lynn-benson-kendall-obituary-d/ insideeko.com 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. My relationship with Tracy was always a very turbulent one. 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. We were trying to get some emotion out of him, he said. After his initial outburst, Benson became stoic and unemotional as the evidence was presented against him. It all came back to him.. Benson was 33, just five years younger than Bennett at the time. Even though he had a fancy car" -- the Lotus -- "he didn't like to drive. She is shown here in a photo shoot at Lancaster Country Club in 1974, more than a decade before the incident. There had been general rumors (about the boys parentage) going around Lancaster, where the family was brought up, Cirace said. Prosecutors argued his mother's funds were used as seed money -- or to bail out one or more of the companies in emergencies, of which there were many. Attorneys representing Steven Benson, 36, and Margaret Benson's daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 43, said they both probably will appeal Monday's ruling. 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. [4] Kendall survived but was badly burned; Margaret and Scott died instantly from the bomb blast. Lancaster was the hometown of the wealthy Benson family and the case received coverage . Benson crying on the first day of his trial. Some who knew him werent really surprised. Murphy said her father sent Sands as a gesture of goodwill. He just looked at me. 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