Steven Benson

Background

Steven Benson was a 33-year-old Florida businessman who was arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, his nephew, and the attempted murder of his sister.

Benson’s mother, Margaret Benson, had inherited $10 million from her father and lived with constant fears about her sons. She had received the proceeds from her $10 million tobacco fortune and believed one or another of her sons was stealing her funds and wanted her dead. Margaret Benson asked a family lawyer to investigate and considered discussions about removing Benson as chief operating officer of Meridian Marketing.

The offence

On July 9, 1985, Benson placed a car bomb on the family car in which Margaret Benson, Scott, and Steven’s sister, Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, were waiting for Steven to join them in the vehicle. The Suburban exploded.

Margaret Benson and Scott died instantly from the bomb impact. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall survived the explosion but was badly burned after escaping from the car moments before a second bomb blast. Investigators found evidence consistent with a pipe bomb explosion.

Benson hoped to inherit the $10 million tobacco fortune. The motive described at the time was that Benson feared disinheritance, and that Margaret Benson’s suspicions were well founded.

The record also described that Margaret Benson was the heiress of the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co., Lancaster, Pa., and that she had no connection with Benson & Hedges brand cigarettes manufactured in the US by Philip Morris.

Investigation

Collier County sheriff's deputies teamed with federal agents to launch an investigation. Investigators tracked clues and evidence, including tiny pieces found from the cap end of one of the bombs to debris that littered lawns in the Bensons’ North Naples neighborhood.

Investigators said the case hinged on evidence including the identification of the explosives and forensic findings. The record described that there were traces of evidence tied to Benson, including handprints found on receipts for pipe materials used in the bombs and additional forensic findings on Benson.

Investigators said authorities found two sales receipts from Hughes Supply Inc. in Naples dated July 5. They described that two, 4-inch end caps and two, 12-inch sections of the nipple pipe had been bought by a man fitting Benson’s description. The record also described that the caps and pipe packed with gunpowder were the same kind found in the explosion, and that investigators found two distinguishable palm prints on the receipts and a flake of zinc from the pipes discovered on Benson’s pants.

The record described that a 19-page warrant helped seal the evidence and that the case was solved when the prints matched.

The record also described that detectives and investigators believed Benson was the individual responsible because only Benson drove the car before the bombing and only Benson was not hurt.

A quote in the record attributed to Mike Koors said: "There was always something going on in the case," and "The publicity was unbelievable."

Arrest and pre-trial

Benson was arrested on Aug. 22 on two counts of first-degree murder and held without bond. He was indicted by a grand jury in September 1985.

The trial started 12 months and five days after the bomb blast, with Collier Circuit Judge Hugh Hayes presiding.

Benson was represented by attorney Michael R.N. McDonnell. The prosecution included brothers Jerry and Dwight Brock.

The trial was moved to Fort Myers after McDonnell asked for the change due to publicity. Ten women and two men sat on the jury when opening arguments began on July 14, 1986, and the trial lasted about a month in court.

Trial

Benson pleaded not guilty to the murder of his family on 14th July 1986. Eleven hours later, the jury found Benson guilty.

The record stated that prosecutors presented 52 witnesses and that the prosecution portrayed Benson as an improvident drifter whose business failures apparently led him to misappropriate some of his mother’s fortune.

A quote attributed to Dwight Brock said: "There we were, with all of the records," and "We worked from 9 a.m. to midnight every day." He also said: "Then when we were done for the day, we were preparing for the next day," and "All we did was work." He added: "You lost touch with all of that," and "You were so busy."

A quote attributed to Berry described: "painfully obvious" about what had happened and said: "He was spending his mom's money and she had caught him."

The record included description of testimony from Carol Lynn Benson Kendall, who described that she left the car door open and that she was badly burned. Her testimony about the morning of the explosion was carried live on television. Kendall testified: "I couldn't understand why he wasn't coming over to help me."

The record also described that McDonnell built the defense with witnesses including Merrill, the golfer, who testified he heard Benson yell for help, and with a lineup of jail inmates who said Scott Benson was into drugs. The record stated Steven Benson did not take the stand.

The record described the jury’s verdict and deliberation, stating that on Aug. 6 the case went to the jury and that a day later, after 12 hours of deliberation, Benson was found guilty.

The record stated the counts of conviction included two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of arson, three counts of arson resulting in injury, and two counts of building and discharging an explosive device. It also stated Benson was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two of felony murder, and five relating to arson and unlawful explosives.

A quote attributed to Jerry Brock included his passionate plea against death penalty and described his view that killing the person who gave birth to you was a "reprehensible" act.

The record stated that the jury tied 6 to 6 in recommending life in prison.

The jury deliberated 11 1/2 hours on testimony during a four-week trial in nearby Fort Myers.

Sentencing

Judge Hugh D. Hayes said he intended to heed the jury's recommendation for life in prison when formal sentencing occurred. On Sept. 2, Judge Hayes sentenced Benson to serve 50 years in prison before being considered for parole, with parole eligibility at age 85.

The status field described that Benson was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences (minimum 50 years) and an additional 37 years for attempted murder and arson on September 2, 1986.

Benson left Collier County for state prison a day later.

Appeals and outcome

The record stated that Benson appealed his conviction through every court in Florida and took it to the U.S. Supreme Court and that he failed each time.

Benson was ultimately convicted of murder, attempted murder and arson, and he avoided the death penalty.

Aftermath and imprisonment details

Benson was described as serving a 50-year prison sentence and being eligible for parole at age 85.

The record described that Benson was transferred to different prisons during his time because of constant threats and abuse from other prisoners. It also described that because of the murder, Benson was attacked by other prisoners while serving his sentence in jail.

The record listed prisons including Cross City Correctional Institute, Martin Correctional Institute, Avon Park Correctional Institute and Santa Rosa Correctional Institute.

The record described additional incidents in prison, including that Benson was stabbed by another prisoner and transferred to another prison for his safety. It also said that at another time he was found to have a knife in his possession and punished. The record described that he was written up for fashioning a battery pack outside his transistor radio and that he was selling legal services to other inmates using the prison computer to keep track of customers.

The record also described rule violations and confiscations including unauthorized Scrabble game confiscated, ketchup and mayonnaise packets taken, and items found outside regulations including lost or confiscated items such as a Cross pen set, a leather belt, some Clark shoes, and an extra pair of slide shoes. It stated he worked jobs including being a houseman, working in the laundry, or on painting detail.

The record described that Benson was an avid writer of grievances against inmates, corrections officers, and anyone who wronged him. It stated that officials often wrote off his grievances and that he was told to read the regulations or law closer.

The record also described that Benson complained about inmates having to wear shirts in television rooms because it was hot, and he protested in 2004 when a book titled "Hacking Exposed, Network Security Secrets and Solutions" was taken from him, stating that the title was misleading and that no one would listen to him that the book was about preventing hacking, not about how to carry it out.

It stated he spent several stints in segregation after some of his prison exploits and that he told prison officials he was trying to live a well-adjusted, low-profile life behind bars.

The record stated he did not respond to Daily News requests for an interview.

People and relationships

Benson’s mother was Margaret Benson, described as a tobacco heiress. Her ages and details were described as 63 at the time of the bombing.

Scott was described as Benson’s brother and also described as actually his nephew but later adopted; the record also described that Scott was Carol Lynn’s son and Margaret’s grandson.

Carol Lynn Benson Kendall was Benson’s sister. She was described as a former Miss Florida runner-up and as having ugly burn scars from the bombing.

The record stated that Carol Lynn Kendall later ran unsuccessfully for a Naples City Council seat while living in Port Royal. It said her last address was in Norfolk, Va.

A family friend Amos Sands visited Benson and said he tried to bring religion to Benson. A quote attributed to Amos Sands said: "I don't know that he ever grieved about what happened," and "I know he never thought what he did was wrong. I don't think he'd admit it if he was standing in front of God."

The record included a quote attributed to Sands: "He was always easy to talk to," and "He could find all of the problems with the prison. But he can't see that what he did was wrong."

Another quote attributed to Janet Murphy said: "I would talk to him, I guess," and "I'm sure Steven wouldn't want to talk to me." The record described Murphy as Benson’s aunt and stated that she did not want to see her nephew out of prison and wanted him to face the death penalty.

Media and books

The record stated that Dominick Dunne's investigative crime show Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice devoted an hour to the case.

It also listed multiple books related to the crime and celebrity of the family:

• BLOOD RELATIONS by John Greenya.
• MONEY TO BURN The True Story of the Benson Family Murders by Michael Mewshaw.
• THE SERPENT'S TOOTH by Christopher P. Andersen.

The record also mentioned that there had been more than one book related to the crime and celebrity of the family and that movie producers scouted Naples.