He always belonged at the kids table metaphorically, Taylor Berry said. Phone calls to Margaret Benson were tabboo after 5 p.m. from Steven and Debbie Benson's home. Last week, after deliberating 11 1/2 hours on testimony heard during a four- week trial, a jury in nearby Fort Myers found her son Steven Benson, 35, document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Steven Benson was taken into police custody Aug. 22, 1985, after being accused of blowing up his family in a Chevy Suburban in the driveway of their Naples, Fla., home July 9 of the same year. Scott's share was put in escrow by the trustees, while they awaited the outcome of a paternity action to determine whether Scott had any surviving heirs. Wiki Bio Bingham Hawn Bellamy's Wiki Bio. He worked his way through college and law school delivering pizzas and taking odd jobs. unless there's something we don't know about.". With nearly 600 full-time faculty members and researchers, Brock offers more than 70 undergraduate programs and 50 . When he was president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, he refused to relocate the annual meeting from New York City one month after the 9/11 attacks because we cannot let the bad guys win.. Prosecutors at the trial said Benson's motive was greed. The mangled Benson family Chevy Suburban that Steven Benson exploded with a pipe-bomb in front of his family's Naples, Fla., home, killing his mother and nephew and injuring of his sister. Despite the long hours in his career, Berry refused to miss school functions when his two children were young. Please enable JavaScript to properly view our site. Steven Benson died in 2015 of stab wounds in prison. Contrary to published reports, Vaughan said, the Bensons were not heading for the tennis courts when they left their home at 13002 White Violet Way and got into the Chevrolet Tuesday at 9:48 a.m. Benson's sister, Carol Lynn Kendall, then 40, also was sitting in the SUV when the bombs went off. In re Ferguson, 354 Pa. 367, 47 A.2d 245, 165 A.L.R. Hence the portion of Scott's trust that accrues to her must be treated as part of her own principal, to be held in trust rather than to be paid to her outright. She passed away on October 23, 2019 at Madonna Towers in Rochester. Support local journalism. There was an error processing your request. 2014 -Charles Bullock, Collier County Sheriff's Office deputy, accused in 2010 of molesting a 15-year-old boy at Coastland Center mall. Benson died earlier this month in a Florida prison, where he was serving two life sentences for the crimes. Denes Husty, a retired News-Press reporter, covered dozens of Berrys trials through the years. It includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam. Abcarian: Mask mandates? Brent Batten, a retired columnist and reporter for the Naples Daily News, said Berry was a strong advocate for protecting the rights of the accused. I could remember calling for someone to help me," she says on the stand in footage seen in "Florida Man Murders.". Venakides subsequently became a delinquent member of the Bar due to failure to complete continuing legal education requirements. Gender-related development. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall is 42 years old. Carol Martin, R Fabes. Pleaded no contest in exchange for two years probation and surrendered his law enforcement certificate. The extended Benson family is still reeling from his cruel and vicious attack on his own mother and siblings. Still, Steven Benson remained quiet. Kendall is the beneficiary of such a trust, hence the principal due to her from Scott's trust is added to her trust. (Admitted to practice: 1994) In one case, Binns was found in contempt for violating several Bar rules. The exact location of the property is not known, he said. Mrs. Benson was the widow of Edward H. Benson, a chairman of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., of Lancaster, Pa., who died in 1980. ", Mother and daughter seemed to get along "fairly well," McCormick said, although Margaret Benson "always tried to belittle her daughter.". The family and everybody just treated his grandmother as Scotts mother, the lawyer said. Finally, the prosecution is attempting to show, mild-mannered Steven Benson had had enough. The medical examiner's office declined to comment on the report or explain if the wounds noted in the report were fresh or from another incident. He never argued, never got angry. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. It is absolutely part of Jerrys legacy that we now have multiple courts that exist to treat the illnesses that drive so much criminal conduct, and offer people a way to get help, get out of the system, return to their families, and lead productive lives, Martin said. The trustees assert that Kendall's claim arises from two fundamental misconceptions: (1) that Scott's share was and remains a separate independent trust, and (2) that she is *586 entitled to one-half the principal of Scott's share outright. 2022 - Hector Manley, Parkside Elementary School teacher pleaded no contest on 20 charges of molestingstudents between the ages of 5 and 12. From 1981 to 1984, Berry worked in the state attorneys office in Naples before going into private practice. The email address cannot be subscribed. The justice system in Southwest Florida will surely miss him, Batten said. TermsPrivacyDisclaimerCookiesDo Not Sell My Information, Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select, Stay up-to-date with FindLaw's newsletter for legal professionals. What are those large pyramids next to the Skyway? Still, despite his violent behavior and drug habit -- the amount of laughing gas he is said to have regularly consumed could have supplied half the dentists in Collier County -- Margaret Benson remained devoted to him, said the family maid. Margaret Benson and Scott Benson were murdered by Steven Benson who was subsequently convicted of their murders in a criminal trial in which Judge Hayes also presided. Steven needed access to his mother's wealth and he was prepared to kill for it. The wealthy Benson family of Naples, Floridaseemed to have it all. The suit is pending. Born in Miami in 1954, Berry received in bachelors degree in political science from the University of Florida in 1976 where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Lived In West Jordan UT, Salt Lake City UT, Grantsville UT, Twentynine Palms CA. Steven Benson died of a stab wound to the head from a homemade knife inside the Florida prison where he was serving two life sentences for killing his tobacco heiress mother and brother in 1985, records obtained by LNP show. The trial was televised nationally and brought widespread attention to Naples. Benson, who was 33 at the time, was arrested just weeks after the deadly car bomb exploded. But it turned out that Steven's Benson's home was not necessarily his castle. . However, police were still missing physical evidence to tie him into the explosion, so they turned their attention to tracing where the materials for the two pipe bombs that destroyed the car. Margaret Benson, 63 Scott Benson, 21 Carol Lynn Kendall (survived) Find-A-Grave: Margaret Hitchcock Benson Find-A-Grave: Scott Benson . The home she was living in, valued at about $300,000, didn't have the right view. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. He was always prepared. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! (Admitted to practice: 2013) Venakides was retained to handle a dissolution of marriage, but after filing the petition, he ceased communication with the client. More than $1 million was transferred into Ochoas trust account for a business deal, and he failed to return the money upon request. https://insideeko.com/carol-lynn-benson-kendall-obituary-d/ insideeko.com Tobacco heiress Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, who survived a car bombing that killed her mother and her supposedly adopted brother, has said under . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. As she begged him for help, he just went back inside, leaving her there, she told investigators. He also solicited a client for loan modification/foreclosure rescue services, and then abandoned the client. The autopsy found evidence of wounds at the time his body was examined, as well, included healing contusions on his chest, forearms, right hand, right thigh, right shin and foot. She escaped from the vehicle, and as she rolled around on the grass trying to extinguish the flames that were engulfing her, she says that she saw Steven watching her. For answers to your questions about this product: Call 7 am-7 pm, Mon-Sat;. memorial page for Margaret Virginia Hitchcock Benson (6 Jan 1922-9 Jul 1985), Find a Grave Memorial ID 81623836, citing Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster . The pathologist concluded the puncture was made by a shank, or a handmade knife. We had to preserve the scene because it was quite a large explosion. Turn them in to HCSO Valentines. So many people considered Dad a mentor, his daughter, Taylor Berry, 38, said. Berry used Floridas 2005 Stand Your Ground Law. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Cases ranging from a school bus driver accused of indecent exposure to a mentally unstable father chargedwith first-degree murder in the shooting death of his 9-year-old daughter, Jerry was always well prepared and gave a 100% effortin the defense of the sometimes seemingly indefensible, Husty said. Our purpose was to help people, whether wrongfully accused or not, who were quite possibly going through the worst times in their lives. Steven Benson, convicted in 1986 of murdering his mother and adopted brother, died in July at Taylor Correctional. It wasnt a firm, it was a family. In 2002, TV legend Carol Burnett 's life was forever changed when her youngest daughter Carrie Hamilton, 38, died of cancer that had started . Collier County's most notorious killer himself met with a violent end. 2023 www.dispatch.com. Id. And it would have "that million-dollar look" Margaret Benson craved, Kerr testified. Carol moved to Preston, MN where she graduated from High School. SC16-1970 & SC17-181), for one year, effective 30 days from an Oct. 5 court order. While his sister was attending college at the age of 41 and his adoptive brother was playing tennis, chasing girls, taking drugs and driving fancy cars, Steven Benson was running a family business and failing miserably at it. He received his law degree from Florida State University in 1979. Though he reportedly told some friends he was a tennis pro, ranked 60th in the world, Benson is not rated by the Association of Tennis Professionals. In 2016, the American College of Trial Attorneys selected Berry to join the invitation-only ranks of attorneys, and he joined the groups equally exclusive honor society. Judgment is entered for The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2300, for recovery of costs from Carol Lynn Benson Kendall in the amount of $1,733.92, for which sum let execution issue. Get this The Anniston Star page for free from Sunday, June 7, 1987 7, 1987 Bloody family saga continues to unfold t Urattstott VV Star 'Alabama's largest home-owned newspaper' m By DAN SEWELL . . SC17-348), for 91 days, effective retroactive to Oct. 13, following an Oct. 26 court order. One was for possessing a homemade knife, another for unauthorized use of office equipment and the third for disobeying regulations. Margaret and Scott were killed instantly, while Caroline was rushed to the hospital with severe burn injuries. 336, 518 A.2d 1263 (1986); Estate of Kovalchick, 345 Pa.Super. Jerry Berry, a criminal defense attorney who took on many of the highest profile cases but never sought the limelight, died Jan. 31. Other family members and associates include . Carol Benson December 21, 1945 - December 17, 2020 Lexington, Kentucky - Carol Ann Benson (nee Durand) at her home in Kentucky (formerly of Minnesota and Florida). While searching the surrounding area, police found remnants of explosives, confirming it was a calculated attack. The photo at left shows Steven Benson at his 1986 trial; the one at right is the most recent photo of him from the Florida Department of Corrections. He could disagree without being disagreeable.. Name: BENSON, STEVEN W Race: WHITE Sex: MALE Birth Date: 07/26/1951 Custody: CLOSE Current Release Date: DECEASED. But some investigator said it was a bomb, set off by remote control.". He was generous with his time and would always offer insights on legal matters when asked. In view of our analysis of the trust instrument, we find it unnecessary to address Kendall's remaining issues dealing with trustee negligence. Carol Benson is 76 years old today because Carol's birthday is on 12/28/1945. Free shipping for many products! A Bar audit found that McCray failed to maintain minimum required trust account records. He discounted any link between the bombing and the formation last year of Meridian Security Network Inc., owned by Mrs. Benson and another son, Steven Wayne Benson, 33, of Fort Myers just north of Naples. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall net worth is $12 Million Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family . He refused to admit his guilt, and a high-profile trial ensued. Florida law enforcement officials have provided few details about Bensons death nine months ago, on July 3. SC17-227), for 90 days, effective 30 days from a Sept. 14 court order. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a September 22 court order. The judges in Collier recognized him with the Donald VanKoughnet Lion of the Law award, the most prestigious award trial attorneys in Collier can receive. Johnson v. Johnson, 410 Pa.Super. He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of his sister, 42-year-old Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, of Brookline, Mass., who suffered disfiguring injuries in the blast. Once it was determined that Scott had died without issue, the *587 trustees returned the escrow amount in the event Scott had surviving heirs and the accumulated interest to the settlor's trust for distribution to the trusts established for the settlor's two surviving children. Investigators scoured Scott's social circle but were stymied. More:Naples Winter Wine Festival: How much did these 50 auction lots go for? It was the O.J. The scheme provided that at the death of each child, "the remaining principal of his or her trust shall be paid, in descending order, to: (1) as he or she may appoint by will, (2) to his or her descendents, per stirpes, (3) the settlor's then living descendants, per stirpes, or (4) the settlor's intestate heirs." He was certainly no stranger to jailhouse violence, reportedly Benson was stabbed by another inmate in 1991. After his retirement, Berry continued to receive recognitions. It was on a golf course in October 2021 at their family home in Cashiers, North Carolina, where he felt something was not right, his daughter said. They have also lived in Mound, MN and Shakopee, MN. Located on the Gulf of Mexico in southwestern Florida, Naples is home to many wealthy families and has long been considered a prosperous and very safe community. Since the trustees had the sole discretion to grant or not to grant such application, the successor trusts, the separate trusts, were also spendthrift trusts. Some of her friends at The Community School of Naples where she graduated became attorneys because of him. They lived in the same apartment complex and met when her mother, an elementary school teacher, was walking her dog. The problem, testimony has indicated, started with family matriarch Margaret Benson, 63, heir to a Pennsylvania tobacco fortune. He is charged with attempted murder in the wounding of his sister, Carol Lynn Benson Randall, 43. Jerry was one of the most compassionate and empathetic people I have ever met, Circuit Court Judge Shannon McFee said. Long-timers refer it to as the Benson murders when Steven Benson planted two pipe bombs in his mothers Chevrolet Suburban in the familys North Naples driveway in 1985. International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (2002). He attended Caseys basketball games at the University of the South where he was a starting player; he arrived at the Nashville hospital when his granddaughter was born, wearing the same trousers and tie worn earlier to his office. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, 2719 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 164, Hollywood, disbarred effective immediately, following a Sept. 22 court order. Models (including Marilyn Chambers) shot by Richard Fegley, and Playmate Review of 1975. he asked in the report. 1995 Laine Alan Jumper, accused of killing his 9-year-old daughter in his Golden Gate home Nov. 7, 1995. Margaret Benson was 63 when she died in the blast. Related To Amber Benson, Fred Benson, Oscar Benson, Howard Benson, Jr Benson. However, in the mid-1980s, a car of the wealthy Benson family caught fire, and this illusion of happiness was disillusioned. Florida man wins $1 million from $30 scratch-off, Publix FL Lottery ticket worth $186K about to expire, Where to find fish fries in Tampa Bay during Lent, Two FL beaches make Tripadvisors best of the best, Worlds largest bounce house coming to Tampa, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. There were particles of bodies and materials, and it looked like a bomb had dropped on the Suburban," Harold Younga, a retired homicide lieutenant with the Collier County sheriffs department, told producers of Oxygen's new series,"Florida Man Murders.". SC17-57), administered by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, following a Sept. 14 court order. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The trustees established a trust for Kendall, a trust for Steven and a share for Scott. (Case No. In the second matter, Kendall withdrew from representation, forcing the client to hire new counsel. He left his wife and children an estate estimated at $400 million. Caroline said that she did not want to talk to authorities as she was recovering in a Massachusetts burn ward. The extended Benson family is still reeling from his cruel and vicious attack on his own mother and siblings. -- Scott Benson's natural mother and Margaret Benson's daughter -- got along better with her mother. You're all set! Attorney (s) appearing for the Case Caroline agreed to speak with the police. The Untold Truth Of Ralph Macchio's Wife - Phyllis Johnny Suh (NCT) Age, Height, Relationships, Net W Ella-Rae Smith's Biography: Parents, Measurements, What is Lil Meech doing now? Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. She enjoyed many things including playing cards, puzzle b In July 2015, he died in prison after a fellow inmate stabbed him in the head, Lancaster Online reported at the time. Jerry was a master at that. Lynnda Kimball, Mesina Miller, Lillian Mller, Azizi Johari, Ingeborg Sorensen, Victoria Cunningham, Lynn Schiller, Laura Misch, Jill De Vries, Bridgett Rollins, Janet Lupo, Nancie Li Brandi. Trust Instrument C(2)(c). To escape the turmoil of his family, Steven Benson had bought himself his own retreat -- a huge house in Fort Myers, complete with swimming pool, tennis courts and a Datsun 280Z. The car reportedly exploded in two separate blasts spaced about a half-minute apart, hurling debris some 200 yards and seriously injuring Mrs. Benson's daughter, Carol Lynn Benson, 40, of Boston, who was seated in the left rear seat. She contends that she is entitled to a one-half share of the principal of the Scott R. Benson Trust, including accrued income, and any 2% principal payments which may have been held in escrow. They soon developed a theory that the attack may have beenrelated to Scott's drug use. (Admitted to practice: 2008) Further, McCray shall pay, of $1,500 to one client. She also demanded an accounting and the replacement of the trustees. "He didn't have any enemies," said one acquaintance. Hollywood's Carol Lynn Benson Kendall (University of Richmond School of Law) is suspended until further notice for failure to respond to a Bar inquiry. Benson never spoke at his trial and never granted an interview in the almost 30 years he spent behind bars. Killed in the July 9, 1985, blast were Benson's mother, Margaret, 63, heir to the Lancaster (Pa.) Leaf Tobacco Co. fortune, and her adopted son, Scott, 21, an aspiring tennis pro. He served for a term as president of the Collier County Bar Association. Received one year probation. Steven Wayne Benson was an American double murderer of his mother, tobacco heiress Margaret Benson, and his brother, tennis player Scott Benson. In view of this interpretive standard, we are constrained to conclude that the trial court did not err in sustaining the Trustees' Preliminary Objections and dismissing Kendall's Exceptions to the Adjudication since the trustees properly added the one-half principal of Scott's trust to Kendall's trust as the language of the trust instrument provided.