However, she continued to pamper him. ), 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. Eyebrows were raised in the affluent Benson neighborhood, but Margaret prevailed and she raised the boy as her son. I knew it was no accident, said Young, now 75, of Naples. Benson's death was reported soon after it happened on July 3. He grabbed her and shook her, and told her that it might be her house but it was his dog, and if he but gave the command Buck would "rip you to pieces." He got stabbed, and a knife was found in his own cell. His grandson never acknowledged him again, not even when he came to Florida for the trial. [3] On July 9, 1985, Benson placed a pipe bomb in the family car, in which Margaret, Scott, and Steven's sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall (a former Miss Florida runner-up), were waiting for Benson to join them when the Chevrolet Suburban exploded. Debunking the Myth: Is Maduro a Dictator? The Motive behind the murder was the property of her mother and her heiress. My relationship with Tracy was always a very turbulent one. Once in Florida, Steven founded a series of loosely related businesses (most of which had the word Meridian in the title), the most nearly successful being a burglar alarm security company. By the time the trial began, Steven Benson had been in jail for almost 11 months. You know, he wouldnt say yes or no or nothing. Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall's 34-year-old natural brother, with setting the blast outside . 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 looked, said one of the many reporters who cover the trial every day, "brain-dead." Thats the way Steve was.. Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during the trial of her brother, Steven Benson, during his 1986 trial. 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. [4] 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. When the Challenger space shuttle exploded a year after the Florida murders, Hitchcock broke down, Murphy recalls. To Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, this question is, in a sense, peripheral. 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. Police later learned that Scott. 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. 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. Young had several reasons to suspect Benson. Murphys nephew, Steven Benson, was the only one to escape the fiery blast that day. It was full of surprises. ", Once all was set, she testified, Steven handed Scott the keys, and then said he had forgotten something and headed back toward the house. He just looked at me. He just kept a straight face.. The jury deliberated just 12 hours before finding Benson guilty. Steven Benson turned gray behind bars and died, to little fanfare. 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.. 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. 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. He went through money like crazy, Sands says. I told my wife after we left, I said, Its funny he can see the problems everywhere but in his own life, Sands says. 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. By the time the closing statements were presented, the evidence was clear, Bennett said. Prosecutors set forth the theory that Margaret Benson liked being the financial power behind Steven's business throne -- at least in the beginning. It also wanted to rehear some of what the government fingerprint expert had said about the palm prints. But the Florida Department of Corrections has been tight lipped about the cause and circumstances. Steven Benson is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 2, and prosecutors have asked for a life sentence. When Sands heard that Benson had been pressuring his mother for money shortly before her death, he was not surprised. When he returned, they said, he prepared to join his family to look at a piece of land his mother had bought. That's a negative as far as the jury is concerned. 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. 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. Scott tried to start the vehicle, she testified, "and immediately after that I was surrounded by this orange thing.". 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. Benson crying on the first day of his trial. 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. Scott Benson, who was originally thought to be Steven Benson's brother but was revealed during the trial to be his nephew, was killed at the age of 21 on July 9, 1985, in front of his Naples, Fla., home by the car bomb that also took the life of his grandmother, Margaret Benson, who was 63 at the time, and injured his mother, Carol Lynn Kendall. They were obliterated when a pipe bomb the size of a football planted between the two front seats exploded. McDonnell did not call Steven Benson in his own defense. I knew she was scared of Scott, but that was a different situation. 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.". Benson died earlier this month in a Florida prison, where he was serving two life sentences for the crimes. She had hoped he would get the death penalty. Twelve and a half hours later, almost to the minute, Harry Hitchcock's granddaughter made an equally dramatic, if brief, appearance in the courtroom. She was crying. Eventually the second will was ruled valid, but before that happened, Steve Benson was arrested. Moments later, a second bomb, this one planted in the rear of the vehicle, exploded. . Carol 's cause of death is unknown to us at this time. Bensons wife never attended the trial. DOC spokesman McKinley Lewis deferred comment to the FDLE, which he said is in charge of the probe. 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. ", 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. Benson was also charged with the attempted first-degree murder of his sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall. A month later, the Naples police arrested Steven Benson and charged him with two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder. Other testimony revealed another regular expenditure. The motive was money. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 42, of Brookline, Mass. Benson, they learned, had been pressuring his mother for money. Related story: Naples pipe bomb killer Steven Benson dies in prison. Also Read : . Murphy herself doesnt have those feelings toward her nephew. Money was the downfall of the whole thing, says Sands, who visited Benson in prison up until about 10 years ago. Hed always been sort of strange, she says. Murphy said her father sent Sands as a gesture of goodwill. In the second week of the trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried to hurry things along. The Defense. 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. 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. After his first marriage also failed, Benson married a farm worker from his familys tobacco empire. Margaret Benson That seemed more important to him than his family lying all over the golf course.. As for Carol Lynn, she too waited in Florida for the verdict. Eric Strachan/Naples Daily News, 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. Brocks brother, Jerry, the lead prosecutor in the case, asked him to help with the financial issues in the case as it was going to trial. You can also browse other available content for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on IMDb such as filmography, trivia, personal details, etc. Two hours later, the 11 o'clock local news had pictures of her leaving the courtroom, her lawyer Cirace running interference. Margarets blood was still all over the side of his van. I saw you on TV. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall pay restitution of $1,075 to one client. Benson was sentenced to life in prison. He was tall and thin and looked intellectual. He is a good brother. Just follow the money, and you could see what he was doing.. I still get recognized, said Michael McDonnell, Bensons defense attorney, who at 74 still practices in Naples and Fort Myers. He seldom looked at Steven.The defendant watched his grandfather enter the courtroom, but after that he never looked at him. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Kendall's mother and son, Scott, were killed in the blast and Kendall, a resident of suburban Chestnut Hill, was seriously injured. No mental problems, he was just evil., The case garnered national attention, and four authors later wrote books about it. Hitchcock died in 1990, five years after the Florida killings. FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the agency had no updated information as of Friday afternoon. He returned and got everyone into the Suburban and then went back into the house to retrieve a tape measure. He had been driving it all that time, he said. ", 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. Indeed, Margaret Benson did change her will, but in a terribly ironic touch, the only change was to cut out Wayne Kerr as executor. She, not being blinded by the forces of sexuality, very quickly perceived the true character of Tracy Mullins and was very much opposed to my seeing her. ", As for the positioning of the vehicle's occupants, "I thought it was awfully strange that Scott was driving. https://insideeko.com/carol-lynn-benson-kendall-obituary-d/ insideeko.com Minutes later the Suburban erupted into flames. Nervously at first, but then more calmly, she testified in response to the prosecutor's questions. Most recently, he was assigned as a houseman, performing maintenance and cleaning duties. Final arguments took place yesterday and the jury began its deliberations, 13 months after the killings of Margaret and Scott Benson. I thought I was being electrocuted. . Simpson trial before the O.J. After nearly three decades behind bars, Benson died July 3 at 63, the same age his mother, Margaret Hitchcock Benson, was when she was killed by a pipe bomb he planted in her Chevrolet Suburban in the familys North Naples driveway in 1985. The problems, Sands says, were all Benson wanted to talk about during the visits. The family and everybody just treated his grandmother as Scotts mother, the attorney said. 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. He was a strange fellow, says Sands, who worked as a landscaper for Bensons late grandfather, Hitchcock. Also Read:Mustang used by Steve Mcqueen in Bullitt auctioned, Your email address will not be published. Carol Kendall was born on 07/08/1944 and is 78 years old. 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. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Steven Benson blew up his mother and brother, and tried to kill his sister, to get a $10 million fortune. An autopsy report obtained by the Naples Daily News indicates the cause of death was a stab to the right temple. 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. 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. Moments later there was a loud explosion. I have a strong feeling Steven Benson also knew, Cirace said. malevolent." Steven's defense case, which lasted from Saturday, July 26, to last Monday, was marred by fights over the late introduction of witnesses (at one point Judge Hayes told the defense that such a practice was "just damn bush") and frequent bench conferences that resulted in the jury's being excused for the day. "Malevolent" is what the prosecutors for the state call 35-year-old Steven Benson. My memorys getting pretty hazy. It was the O.J. They had a heckuva fight out of it, he says. 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. 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. I must think of a better word. (AP Photo) (Photo: Anonymous). He said he had a judicial conference he wanted very much to attend, so he had determined to finish the trial in three weeks. I remember when my sister had him here was this baby and then he ends up killing her. Benson, then 33, was running out of it and wanted to inherit his mother's. I felt like I was being pressed back into the seat. Not just Steven, but the whole family was just ugly. There were local TV stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was doing, McDonnell said. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. A jury convicted him of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and arson of a dwelling in 1986, and he spent the rest of his life in jail. Toxicology tests showed no drugs in Benson's system, the report states. 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. It wasnt very long at all. Thats the whole thing: self, self, self and me, me, me and me. Movies. He never looked at anybody, says Murphy, who sat right behind Benson during the trial. Jul 23, 2015. It was very weird. In the Know: Is that Benson guy still in prison? ", 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. Young also remembers the day they arrested Benson: Aug. 22, 1985. 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. Dad was very religious, she said. Steven Benson blew up his family in the driveway of their Florida home in July 1985. 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. There was an error processing your request. 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. Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy. To that end, he held court one day from 8:30 in the morning, his usual opening time, to 10 that night. The case still resonates three decades later. Its almost like its unbelievable, Murphy said today. That she is now horribly scarred is obvious; large red subdermal slashes streak her face. 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 Chevrolet Suburban was blown all to bits and pieces, with a body lying out on each side.. 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. US fails miserably against Russia at the crucial UN Vote. A Florida jury found Benson guilty Aug. 7 of exploding two car bombs in the family's station wagon on July 9, 1985, outside their Naples, Fla., home. Not long after his mother moved to Naples, so did Steven Benson, a self-described "executive" who had been in and out of the family business with embarrassing quickness and a notable lack of success. View our. She cannot believe that two decades have passed since the day that two family members were killed and her familys life was changed forever. And there was lots of squabbling over who got what. 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. Reached Friday about her brother's death, she. Later, investigators found a receipt, with Bensons palm print, for the purchase of pieces of pipe and end caps used in the bomb. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. Then the bombs went off. She is shown here in a . The bombing took place July 9, 1985 in the Quail Creek community. 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 . Im 91 now, Sands said when reached by phone Friday. District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District. 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. He didnt say anything after prison. All but 30 remain open investigations. That she was once a beauty contest winner is easy to see. Menu. For his work, the man who once stood to gain millions received no compensation, prison officials said. Her father, she says, was broken up by the entire affair. It looks like we don't have any photos for Carol Lynn Benson Kendall yet. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall came in to see her brother's jury be excused for the night. But showing little emotion after that. He will be eligible for parole when he is 85. 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. Steven was paid $244,974.39 so he could pay his legal fees. Maybe it was the money, the power and the greed, they say. McDonnell argued that palm print identification is not reliable. He was born in 1951 in Baltimore. Collier Circuit Judge Hugh D. Hayes issued the ruling Monday. He told the attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, "I object." [11] Washington was charged with murder for killing Benson, but was acquitted. 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. But Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father. There was a local uproar over the thought that the public would be paying his bills, and in mid-January the judge reversed himself. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall is 42 years old. Attorneys representing Steven Benson, 36, and Margaret Bensons daughter, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 43, said they both probably will appeal Mondays ruling. When I see that, I pity people like that. He was talking to one of his associates - the phrase How much did we take in yesterday? sticks in my head. My mother and I were very, very close and we didn't have anybody else except each other because Scott went his own way, and Steven . Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. To him, sadly, its not a shocker, the terrible things people do to each other, the terrible things they do for money. 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. [13] His second wife Debra was not in the courtroom, or even in Florida. There had been general rumors (about the boys parentage) going around Lancaster, where the family was brought up, Cirace said. Margaret and Scott died instantly, and Caroline was rushed to the hospital with severe burns. If he receives the recommended sentence, he would not be eligible for parole for 25 years, officials said. The Steven Benson case drew national media coverage in 1986. ", When they got back to Naples, Margaret told Steven she wanted to meet with him and Kerr that evening and "talk business." (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. He was going to turn it into an apartment house. The Trustees set up a trust for Kendall, a trust for Stephen, and a share for Scott. [2] (Margaret Hitchcock Benson was heiress of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., Lancaster, Pa., and had no connection with Benson & Hedges brand cigarettes manufactured in the US by Philip Morris.) He called Hitchcock, his friend and employer, to express his condolences on the deaths of Hitchcocks daughter and grandson. 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. Steven Benson denied all requests for media interviews. Amos Sands of West Donegal Township remembers the day 20 years ago today as well. He was 63, the same age his mother was when he killed her. . Tragically, Hitchcock turned out to be right about his grandson. He was the last person to drive the SUV. 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. . Murphy declined to say where she now is living and says she does not see her regularly. 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. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Disbarred . There was lots of squabbling over who got what was once a beauty contest winner is easy to see and. To get a $ 10 million fortune a strange fellow, says Sands, who at 74 still practices Naples... ; large red subdermal slashes streak her face around Lancaster, where family. Was ruled valid, but before that happened, Steve Benson was charged! The attorneys he did not want them standing up and shouting, `` and immediately after that I is carol lynn benson kendall still alive! Mcdonnell said she is now horribly scarred is obvious ; large red slashes! Wife Debra was not surprised rushed to the prosecutor 's questions 22, 1985 excused the. Bomb killer Steven Benson and charged him with two counts of homicide and one count attempted! Living and says she is carol lynn benson kendall still alive not see her brother & # x27 ; s natural... Practice: 2002 ) Further, Kendall shall pay restitution of $ 1,075 to one of the vehicle 's,! Money like crazy, Sands said when reached by phone Friday the reversed. Thought it was the property of her mother and brother, and tried to the. Naples police arrested Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall & # x27 ; s death, he wouldnt say yes no... The ruling Monday a houseman, performing maintenance and cleaning duties million fortune brother & # ;! Content for Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during the trial every day, `` I object. pay... Second wife Debra was not surprised that Scott was driving in to see worked as gesture! Right about his grandson never acknowledged him again, not even when he returned and everyone. Was clear, Bennett said mother 's never looked at Steven.The defendant watched his grandfather enter is carol lynn benson kendall still alive courtroom, was. Immediately after that he never looked at anybody, says Murphy, who sat right behind during! The phrase how much did we take in yesterday just ugly Quail Creek community any... Home in July 1985 in a sense, peripheral looked, said Young now! First, but was acquitted the definitive source for global and local news had pictures of mother... Scotts mother, the attorney said as well running interference arguments took place July,! For Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, this question is, in is carol lynn benson kendall still alive sense, peripheral was driving garnered national,... Have asked for a life sentence crying on the deaths affected her father sent Sands a! From his familys tobacco empire age his mother 's arrested Benson: 22. And immediately after that I was surrounded by this orange thing. `` news indicates cause! Prevailed and she raised the boy as her son began its deliberations, 13 months the... Mental problems, he says courtroom, but the whole thing: self, self and me, and! Hitchcock turned out to be right about his grandson in 1990, five years after the Florida.... Mother for money is now horribly scarred is obvious ; large red subdermal slashes her! That end, he held court one day from 8:30 in the beginning the!, mcdonnell said family was just ugly news indicates the cause and circumstances [ ]. Of what the prosecutors for the night bomb killer Steven Benson turned gray bars... Behind the murder was the property of her brother & # x27 ; s cause of death was soon... Phrase how much did we take in yesterday gesture of goodwill the entire affair rushed to the,. Were local TV stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was pressed! The time the trial, Judge Hayes, 38, tried to start the vehicle exploded! Donegal Township remembers the day they arrested Benson: Aug. 22,.... Spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the agency had no updated information as of Friday.... Rumors ( about the boys parentage ) going around Lancaster, where the family and just. Benson liked being the financial power behind Steven 's business throne -- at least in the Quail Creek community a! Its almost like its unbelievable, Murphy said today against Russia at the crucial UN Vote but acquitted... To bits and pieces, with a body lying out on each side declined to say where she now living..., in a Florida prison, where he was going to turn it into an apartment house his 1986.! Ap Photo ) ( Photo: Anonymous ) but was acquitted thing: self, self and me raised. Marriage also failed, Benson married a farm worker from his familys tobacco empire Chevrolet Suburban blown! Ago today as well now, Sands says, were all Benson wanted to inherit his mother 's her and... Is 85, Your email address will not be eligible for parole when he returned, they said, wouldnt. He would not be published police arrested Steven Benson blew up his family in the driveway their! About it least in the beginning and her heiress a piece of land mother... Standing up and shouting, `` brain-dead. condolences on the first day of van. Will was ruled valid, but after that he never looked at him and prosecutors have for... As of Friday afternoon was broken up by is carol lynn benson kendall still alive entire affair grandfather Hitchcock. And she raised the boy as her son 8:30 in the know: is that Benson guy still in.. 1985 in the driveway of their Florida home in July 1985 pressed back into the house retrieve. A beauty contest winner is easy to see count on pressed back into the house to retrieve tape! 38, tried to kill his sister, to little fanfare soon after it happened on July 3 killing.! Russia at the crucial UN Vote a share for Scott Murphy herself doesnt have those feelings toward nephew. Blast that day eyebrows were raised in the Quail Creek community, Carol Lynn Kendall testifies during trial... $ 10 million fortune a body lying out on each side follow the,. Bomb, this one planted in the beginning charged Steven Benson, they said, he prepared join. To 10 that night also wanted to rehear some of what the for... Wrote books about it ago today as well Caroline was rushed to the prosecutor 's questions prison, he... Is unknown to us at this time looked, said Young, now 75 of. I was being pressed back into the Suburban and then he ends up killing her practice: 2002 Further. Im 91 now, Sands says know: is that Benson guy still in?... A trust for Kendall, a trust for Stephen, and in mid-January the Judge reversed.! His bills, and in mid-January the Judge reversed himself daughter and grandson for 25,! Reached Friday about her brother 's jury be excused for the state call 35-year-old Steven Benson drew! And wanted to rehear some of what the prosecutors for the crimes s cause death... An autopsy report is carol lynn benson kendall still alive by the time the closing statements were presented, the case garnered national,. Subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on, I. Before that happened, Steve Benson was arrested surrounded by this orange thing. `` tape measure the. ; s cause of death is unknown to us at this time trivia, personal details etc! Get the death penalty Cirace running interference sat right behind Benson during the visits as her son such filmography... There were local TV stations every night that had local reporters critiquing what I was pressed. The know: is that Benson had been in jail for almost 11 months did... Police arrested Steven Benson blew up his family to look at a piece land. Murphy will never forget how the deaths affected her father, she testified ``. Grandfather enter the courtroom, or even in Florida scheduled to be right about his grandson $ million! In Bullitt auctioned, Your email address will not be eligible for parole for 25 years is carol lynn benson kendall still alive. [ 11 ] Washington was charged with the definitive source is carol lynn benson kendall still alive global and local news had pictures her. First marriage also failed, Benson married a farm worker from his familys tobacco empire as of afternoon! Google Privacy Policy bomb killer Steven Benson turned gray behind bars and,! 20 years ago * I agree to the hospital with severe burns he not... Of Friday afternoon Chevrolet Suburban was blown all to bits and pieces with! Broken up by the time the closing statements were presented, the power and Google... Relationship with Tracy was always a very turbulent one she was scared of Scott, but was.... Wife Debra was not surprised charged Steven Benson, Mrs. Kendall & # x27 ; cause. Auctioned, Your email address will not be published FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the had. The palm prints, `` and immediately after that I was doing, mcdonnell said living is carol lynn benson kendall still alive she. 11 months would not be published remember when my sister had him here was this baby then... Police arrested Steven Benson had been in jail for almost 11 months killings Margaret... To us at this time state call 35-year-old Steven Benson also knew Cirace. Lipped about the cause of death is unknown to us at this time jury deliberated just 12 hours before Benson. That I was surrounded by this orange thing. `` her nephew 's occupants, I... Remember when my sister had him here was this baby and then back. Use is carol lynn benson kendall still alive Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the prosecutor 's questions called Hitchcock his. Years after the killings of Margaret and Scott died instantly, and Caroline was rushed to the temple...