(Case No. Berry taught classes and presided over the Inns of Court, a non-partisan organization promoting professionalism. A Celebration of Life will be announced in the coming months. A jury convicted Steven Benson of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and arson of a dwelling. Trust Instrument C(2)(c). Since the Florida paternity claimant was found not to be Scott's surviving heir, Scott was ruled to have died without issue at the same time as his mother. The city of Naples, on the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida, is home to many rich families and has long been considered to be a thriving and very safe community. . . Perhaps he owed someone money, or was selling drugs himself, or maybe he had seen something he wasn't meant to see. He was all about doing the right thing.. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 80+ Carolyn Rose Benson Monticello, IN Aliases Caroline R Benson Carol R Benson More:Medical Examiner says Benson was stabbed to death in prison. -- Scott Benson's natural mother and Margaret Benson's daughter -- got along better with her mother. Carol Benson, taken to Naples Community Hospital, was expected to be transferred Wednesday to the burn center of Massachussetts General Hospital burn center in Boston. He is also charged with the attempted murder. She enjoyed many things including playing cards, puzzle b Her lawyer, Wayne Kerr, testified that she spent at the rate of $1.5 million a year -- more than she could afford. They lived in the same apartment complex and met when her mother, an elementary school teacher, was walking her dog. Police now had their number one suspect: Steven Benson. Contact us. But Kendall, who was injured seriously in the explosion, apparently had to, according to the testimony of bookkeeper Dorothy McCormick. While his lawyers were good, Carolyn's testimony on the stand shredded his defense, as she spoke of his odd behavior and refusal to come to her aid when she was on fire. An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup. 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 . People had suspicions as to why, after having two children of her own, all of a sudden Mrs. Benson adopts a third.. You wouldn't expect something like that to happen to somebody like that . 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. A lot of cases he lost money on but he felt strongly about taking them.. Carol Benson is 76 years old today because Carol's birthday is on 12/28/1945. Both McFee and Martin joined the group which became Berry, Day, McFee & Martin. Collier Sheriff's Capt. It was also a match for Steven. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. 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. Why? Advertisement Page 1 Operator's Manual 2.0 HP Motor CRAFTSMAN _ ELECTRIC CHAIN SAW Model No. In re Ferguson, 354 Pa. 367, 47 A.2d 245, 165 A.L.R. Like her mother, Kendall on at least one occasion found herself the victim of Scott Benson's violent behavior. He said Kendall, who is 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. I guess people just exhibited good taste, he said. He practiced hours every day -- whenever I had time. Denes Husty, a retired News-Press reporter, covered dozens of Berrys trials through the years. The trustees contend that the disclaimer filed by Kendall was effective only with respect to the income and the periodic payments from Scott's share but ineffective with regard to Scott's principal. On Aug. 22, 1985, the State of Florida charged him with murder in the first degree of his 63-year-old mother, Margaret, and his adopted brother Scott. He engaged in a conflict of interest in the dual representation of clients in connection with drafting their revised estate planning documents. 2005 Alex Lifeson, lead guitarist for the rock band Rush, arrested New Year Eve in 2004 at Naples Ritz-Carlton after drunken skirmish with sheriffs deputies. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. https://insideeko.com/carol-lynn-benson-kendall-obituary-d/ insideeko.com He was 68. Caroline said that she did not want to talk to authorities as she was recovering in a Massachusetts burn ward. Los Angeles, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Long-lost ship found at the bottom of Lake Huron, confirming story of tragic collision, TikTok to set default daily time limit of 60 minutes for minors, TikTok faces bans in a number of countries over security fears. Could have faced up to 10 years in prison on two felony-on-a-law-officer-charges. She failed to pay restitution; failed to timely provide notice of her suspension to her clients, opposing counsel and the courts; she failed to pay costs. Berry established and served as president of the Collier County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "I heard it on the news, and well . In a rare moment of emotion during his trial, Steven Benson cries in the Florida courtroom where a jury convicted him in 1986 of blowing up his family in a Chevy Suburban in the driveway of their Naples, Fla., home on July 9, 1985. Respondent is currently suspended; therefore this disbarment is effective immediately. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. "I thought she was a really pleasant lady," said Bleiweiss' son, Robert, who had done electrical work for the Bensons. Steven Bensons trial is scheduled to begin in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13. A lot of it was going toward a new home she was planning to build in Naples. Justice is justice," he said. [4] Steve Vaughan, Quail Creek's tennis pro, described Mrs. Benson as "a polite, well-mannered woman who cared about a lot of people.". Required fields are marked *. 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. He played golf every Sunday, initially belonging to Grey Oaks Country Club before joining Hideout Golf Club. Steven was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in prison. BENNINGTONCarol Lynn Benson Bennington, age 52, of Milford, OH, passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash. Berry inspired many young people to pursue legal careers. Daughter Carol Lynn Benson. While it is clear that where a spendthrift trust is in issue, the courts will uphold the spendthrift provisions as a means to enforce the settlor's right to dispose of his property as he chooses, it is also clear that in the absence of statutory language overriding a trust provision, the trust provision will be enforced. It includes two 18-hole championship golf courses, tennis courts and a stately clubhouse. In re Edward H. BENSON, Settlor to Meridian Trust Company Substitute for American Bank and Trust Co. of Pa. Why? We affirm. But some investigator said it was a bomb, set off by remote control.". She practiced law while a suspended and delinquent member of the Bar. There had been general rumors (about the boys parentage) going around Lancaster, where the family was brought up, Cirace said. Steven, who hadn't gotten into the vehicle before it exploded, was safe. The autopsy revealed Benson also had a "neurosurgical incision" on his head and two other "surgical incisions" that were all stapled or sutured by the time of his death, the report stated. She and her son, Vaughan said, spend a great deal of time at the club. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. "This was very unlike Naples, so it made people suspicious," Todd Kolzman, a retired Miami Herald crime reporter, explained to producers of the mood at the time. reported at the time. As she begged him for help, he just went back inside, leaving her there, she told investigators. Steven needed access to his mother's wealth and he was prepared to kill for it. 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. Mrs. Benson was the widow of Edward H. Benson, a chairman of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., of Lancaster, Pa., who died in 1980. But for the most part, the man other prisoners in the Collier County Jail call "Boom Boom" kept it all inside. Margaret Benson's spending almost rivaled that of Imelda Marcos. (Admitted to practice: 2013) Venakides was retained to handle a dissolution of marriage, but after filing the petition, he ceased communication with the client. He would talk to people about making a difference in their lives.. The theory was a dead end. "I could never forgive Steven for what he did, no," the anonymous relative confirmed to producers. Two years after Florida's massage parlor crackdown, no one has faced sex trafficking charges. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Further, Kendall shall. Wiki Bio Bingham Hawn Bellamy's Wiki Bio. Florida authorities have charged Steven Benson, 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. That she was once a beauty contest winner is easy to see. "She was a very, very nice woman," said Bissett. 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. The Trustees assertion that Kendall "never had an interest in the principal of Scott's share because now that the factual situation has been determined by the Court, the whole trust should have been divided into two parts" is incorrect. And if Steven Benson wanted to call his mother, he had to do it during business hours. A jury deliberated just 12 hours before finding Benson guilty but spared him from the death penalty. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. for three years, effective immediately, following a Sept. 13 court order. Moreover, courts cannot rewrite a settlor's deed of trust or distort his language or the language of a statute in order to attain what is believed to be beneficial or wise or even what it is believed that the settlor would or should have provided if he possessed a knowledge of all presently existing circumstances. Heres how you can find public attorney discipline information. Includes Address (10) Phone (7) Email (10) See Results. Thanks for helping with Find a Grave! You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. SC17-57), administered by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, following a Sept. 14 court order. It was the O.J. The problem, testimony has indicated, started with family matriarch Margaret Benson, 63, heir to a Pennsylvania tobacco fortune. They soon developed a theory that the attack may have beenrelated to Scott's drug use. In keeping with Berrys wishes, a funeral will not be held. Scott Benson, according to Lombillo, thought the former beauty contest winner was "selfish, interested only in herself and her social life and her extravagances.". SC17-1337). Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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, Advertisement. Status: Suspended Licensed: 20 years 954-789-0834 Profile LAWPOINTS 24 / 100 The trust instrument requires the trust portion of a deceased child to be paid into the trust of a living descendant of the settlor, if such descendant is the beneficiary of a trust under the trust instrument. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, a former Naples City Council candidate, is now a lawyer in Broward County focusing on family law and real estate. 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. Berry was always prepared in court, according to colleagues and the media who covered his trials. 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. Jerry was a master at that. It was Dad (at gatherings) who would rough house getting all the kids wound up.. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Death, Obituary pending- Carol Lynn Benson Kendall has reportedly passed away unexpectedly and suddenly. The fiery blast sent his mother and adoptive brother to their graves, but his sister escaped with her life. He refused to admit his guilt, and a high-profile trial ensued. He did so many pro bono cases, he was so committed to righting the injustices, his daughter said. "When we heard about the blast," he said, "we thought it was caused by nitrous oxide, because Scott almost always had some of it with him. 229, 498 A.2d 374 (1985); Estate of Gilbert, 342 Pa.Super. Who was Scott Benson's mother? We learned about the passing of Carol Lynn Benson Kendall on May 23, 2022. Scott Benson repaid Margaret Benson by suing her -- claiming that when she tried to put him on a budget, no matter how generous, she was cheating him out of his rightful due -- and by pushing her to the floor on one occasion and shaking her violently on another, according to testimony. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. The extended Benson family is still reeling from his cruel and vicious attack on his own mother and siblings. Kendall survived but was badly burned; Margaret and Scott died instantly from the bomb . When his two children were growing up, Berry focused on their education, their independence and their own interests. Sign up for our free summaries and get the latest delivered directly to you. "She controlled the money, so Carol Lynn had to do what she wanted. His wife, Debbie Benson, who during the trial is staying with their three children in her hometown in Wisconsin, had her own rules. The murder occurred at the Benson's Florida home in Naples. Naples Winter Wine Festival: How much did these 50 auction lots go for? Collier County Circuit Judge Hugh Hayes ruled. The legal battles were important, but they were only part of the picture, and Jerry pushed us to keep the whole picture in mind at all times, Martin said. Prosecutors linked Benson to the bomb explosion by producing a receipt, with Benson's palm print, for the purchase of pieces of pipe and end caps used in the bomb. 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. At 21, he had been arrested multiple times, haddone plenty of recreational drugs, and partied hard with strippers. 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