", 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. While she was being helped by the golfer, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's brother Steven stood and watched the carnage. . If Steven Benson caused problems, then Scott caused traumas. emains listed on the DOC website as an open investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 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. Police officers also testified their investigation indicated Steven had acted out of character in several respects that morning, first by insisting that Scott be awakened and included in the group, and then by having Scott drive. Carol 's cause of death is unknown to us at this time. He is a good son. [13] Minutes later the Suburban erupted into flames. By the time the closing statements were presented, the evidence was clear, Bennett said. Murphys daughter, Brenda, was there that day. 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. 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. But in reality she had been alone with her thoughts -- the memory of that "malevolent orange thing," and her recollection of the day she took the stand and referred, for the first time in public, and in front of all those strangers, to the late Scott Benson as "my son.". She said she will never forget that moment. They were obliterated when a pipe bomb the size of a football planted between the two front seats exploded. The motive was money. He told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, "I object." A lot. The Herald also reported that it was common knowledge among certain of Steven's childhood friends that he liked to make bombs. 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. You can add or change photos at IMDb Pro. Within this circle, there was lots of money. Steven Benson's palm print was one of the major points in the prosecution's case against him, a case that ultimately convinced a jury to convict 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. Steven Benson blew up his family in the driveway of their Florida home in July 1985. She suffered first-degree burns on her face and hands in the explosion and is still undergoing extensive reconstructive surgery. He said Steven was laughing. Thats the whole thing: self, self, self and me, me, me and me. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a Sept. 22 court order. He will be eligible for parole when he is 85. Benson was convicted of killing his mother and nephew and injuring his sister with a car-bomb on July 9, 1985. 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. And she also contradicted the wake testimony regarding bombs. . 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. In the second half of 2015, there were close to 200 inmate deaths in Florida's prisons. Murphy s nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to. It looks like we don't have any photos for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall yet. "I don't really know how to comment on it. Benson was also charged with the attempted first-degree murder of his sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. She wanted an accounting and, if it had to be, a confrontation with Steven. Under Florida law, Steven Benson is precluded from receiving proceeds of the estate of the person he murdered, Hayes said. doesn't have anything to do with my mother anymore.". 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. Moments later, a second bomb, this one planted in the rear of the vehicle, exploded. 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. It r He was calm as a cucumber, he said. 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. The star of the show by far was Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. I couldnt get through to him spiritually., Im no psychologist, Sands adds, but he lives in denial. There was an error processing your request. 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. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. McDonnell argued that palm print identification is not reliable. When the Challenger space shuttle exploded a year after the Florida murders, Hitchcock broke down, Murphy recalls. A maid testified that he was "the apple of his mother's eye." I dont know if it will ever go away or not., Information from: LNP, https://lancasteronline.com. "How long does it take to say a guy was stabbed in the temple?" Benson tried and failed at a succession of businesses. He walked behind him and put his hand on his shoulder and he said, Steven Benson is a nice person. [9][10] Benson was in a long running feud with Cordell Washington, another inmate at the facility. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Is Carol Lynn Benson Kendall still alive? We learned about the passing of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on May 23, 2022. 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. 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. The problems, Sands says, were all Benson wanted to talk about during the visits. "Malevolent" is what the prosecutors for the state call 35-year-old Steven Benson. [4] Kendall survived but was badly burned; Margaret and Scott died instantly from the bomb blast. ", 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. Apparently, the idea was to cut down on speeches to the jury, and to speed things along. 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 . People had suspicions as to why, after having two children of her own, all of a sudden Mrs. Benson adopts a third.. 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. Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during the trial of her brother, Steven Benson, during his 1986 trial. 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.. They have never learned to live, really.. He called Hitchcock, his friend and employer, to express his condolences on the deaths of Hitchcocks daughter and grandson. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall is 42 years old. * 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. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay . 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. I think it was just pure greed for money, Murphy said. Bensons aunt, Murphy, recalls him as being different as well. He was my main suspicion before I got out of the house with him.. Just follow the money, and you could see what he was doing.. 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. 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. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall came in to see her brother's jury be excused for the night. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Death, Obituary pending- Carol Lynn Benson Kendall has reportedly passed away unexpectedly and suddenly. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. The murder of Margaret and Scott Benson in 1985 drew national crime coverage never seen before and rarely since to Naples. She was afraid her brother would come after her and her children if he ever got free. Murphys nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to escape the fiery blast that day. Those involved with the case say they are surprised at how it still resonates in peoples minds, and their own lives. and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team, This website uses cookies. 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. For years, she had paid for the lessons and the coaches and the trips, not to mention his 16 tennis racquets. I think it was the dumbest murder I ever solved that had been planned. In the Know: Is that Benson guy still in prison? The bills were sent to and paid for by Margaret. Young had several reasons to suspect Benson. Carol Lynn Kendall unsuccessfully ran for a Naples City Council seat while living in Port . he asked. It just never stopped, Cirace said. 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. When I see that, I pity people like that. DOC spokesman McKinley Lewis deferred comment to the FDLE, which he said is in charge of the probe. Simpson trial before the O.J. ", 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. 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. Tragically, Hitchcock turned out to be right about his grandson. Puncture wound of right temple made by a sharpened instrument ('shank')," the report states. I mean, I was scared of Scott . Debra divorced Steven shortly after his August 22, 1985, arrest. Trending. 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. Then the witness surprised the judge by asking if he could make a "statement." 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. Hes had no contact at all.. He thought he was better than everybody else.. There were local TV stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was doing, McDonnell said. And Steven usually drove when we were together. 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. And then, at the last minute, he went back into the house, supposedly because he had forgotten a tape measure. Through taxes, disbursements and attorneys fees, the estate has dwindled from $10 million to about $1.2 million, said Carl Westman, the estates attorney. I just cant imagine. She cannot believe that two decades have passed since the day that two family members were killed and her familys life was changed forever. Benson told his family members where to sit in the Suburban. That seemed more important to him than his family lying all over the golf course.. Nervously at first, but then more calmly, she testified in response to the prosecutor's questions. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, a former Naples City Council candidate, is now a lawyer in Broward County focusing on family law and real estate. Steven said he was sorry but that he already had a business meeting. But the topic was always the same: problems in prison. He said, Thats how Margaret died. -- Scott Benson's natural mother and Margaret Benson's daughter -- got along better with her mother. 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. 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. To him, sadly, its not a shocker, the terrible things people do to each other, the terrible things they do for money. I saw you on TV. 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. Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy. Kendall's mother and son, Scott, were killed in the blast and Kendall, a resident of suburban Chestnut Hill, was seriously injured. It seemed like a dumb thing." Murphy said her father sent Sands as a gesture of goodwill. He was stabbed in the neck in 1991 by a prisoner who was later sent to a mental hospital. I hope he does, she said. Then, as they got into the car, Caroline noticed Stephen asking them to get in. . 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. To my knowledge, Scott never confronted his mother with the question. 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. 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. By July 8, the day before the bombing, Margaret had learned of Steven's new house in Fort Myers, according to testimony. Real estate. Margaret and Scott died instantly, and Caroline was rushed to the hospital with severe burns. At the urging of Hitchcock, Sands tried to talk to Benson about religion, about accepting Jesus as his savior, but Benson did not want to talk about that. There had been general rumors (about the boys parentage) going around Lancaster, where the family was brought up, Cirace said. But the jury only wanted to have portions of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall's testimony read back. In the second week of the trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried to hurry things along. In the spring and summer of 1985, she asked Wayne Kerr, a young lawyer from Philadelphia, to come down to Naples. ", Once all was set, she testified, Steven handed Scott the keys, and then said he had forgotten something and headed back toward the house. And so he appears very much alone. After her testimony, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall was nowhere to be seen. 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. Nothing was heard from him at all during the trial, she said. Murphys father, Harry Hitchcock, was fine. 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. . 'Money is the last thing that's even on my mind.'. Not just Steven, but the whole family was just ugly. Prosecutors said it showed that while Carol Lynn owed her mother $118,560.33, Steven's IOU was $268,163.89. To Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, this question is, in a sense, peripheral. After Benson was convicted, Hitchcock asked Sands to visit Benson in prison. He just stood there. Landscaping. Last Known Contact Information. FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the agency had no updated information as of Friday afternoon. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. It was obvious he was spending his mothers money on himself and his family, Brock said. 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. Hitchcock died in 1990, five years after the Florida killings. . The jury deliberated just 12 hours before finding Benson guilty. District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District. He was going to turn it into an apartment house. At this time, I was not convinced he could really murder his mother and his adopted brother and sister, said the Fort Myers resident, now 68. "Sharp force head trauma. He was sobbing.. Young said they talked about Mothers Day, and how sad it would be to not have his mother around on that day. Beyond that, Young had little to say. Attorneys representing Steven Benson, 36, and Margaret Bensons daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 43, said they both probably will appeal Mondays ruling. Defense lawyer Mike McDonnell, who represented Benson along with attorney Jerry Berry, said it was one of the first trials to have televised gavel-to-gavel coverage.. I remember when my sister had him here was this baby and then he ends up killing her. Im hot! from the burning car. The three children were to divide the estate equally. He is a good brother. Also Read:Mustang used by Steve Mcqueen in Bullitt auctioned, Your email address will not be published. ", 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. In prison records, Benson listed the oldest of his three children, twins Victoria and Christopher, as his next of kin. Before the day was over, according to newspaper accounts, Steven had asked for and received a loan of $20,000 from his grandfather. Mrs. Kendalls attorney, E. Richard Cirace of Boston, confirmed the report. It wasnt very long at all. But Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father. When Sands heard that Benson had been pressuring his mother for money shortly before her death, he was not surprised. Margaret Benson The Wait. She, of course, was referring to Margaret. In 1983, a fight with Margaret over the behavior of his bouvier des Flanders guard dog -- she'd let it in the house and it had wet on the expensive white carpet -- turned violent. Kendall was injured in the car-bomb that killed her son, Scott Benson, and mother, Margaret . Debunking the Myth: Is Maduro a Dictator? Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall's 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast outside . 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. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay restitution of $1,075 to one client. Margaret Benson and her adopted son, Scott, were killed in the 1985 blast at their Naples home. (One witness, Scott's psychiatrist, testified that the young man had a serious nitrous oxide habit, which had started when he'd go to the supermarket and sniff Reddi-Whip cans. Benson has had his share of problems behind bars. Toxicology tests showed no drugs in Benson's system, the report states. Its still fresh in my memory, he said. The 12 members of the jury listen to arguments in the Florida courtroom where they convicted Steven Benson in 1986 of blowing up his family in a Chevy Suburban in the driveway of their Naples, Fla., home on July 9, 1985. Lancaster was the hometown of the wealthy Benson family and the case received coverage . Another daily attendee was a lawyer representing the trust funds left by Harry Hitchcock's late wife. 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. Success! Eventually the second will was ruled valid, but before that happened, Steve Benson was arrested. It was then that she had her personal secretary run a tab of what her children owed her. 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. Benson, they learned, had been pressuring his mother for money. 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. 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. Not long after, Harry Hitchcock wrote to the judge, opposing his nephew's release: "Anyone capable of murdering his mother for money is capable of murdering his grandfather for the same reason. . I did most of the talking.. 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. Her niece, Kendall, also has stayed out of the limelight. His second wife Debra was not in the courtroom, or even in Florida. Twelve and a half hours later, almost to the minute, Harry Hitchcock's granddaughter made an equally dramatic, if brief, appearance in the courtroom. My memorys getting pretty hazy. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC No mental problems, he was just evil., The case garnered national attention, and four authors later wrote books about 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. https://insideeko.com/carol-lynn-benson-kendall-obituary-d/ insideeko.com They got into the house, supposedly because he had forgotten a tape measure next. 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