Everyone, no matter the criminal charge, deserved to have someone stand with them in the court room and fight for them, McFee, a former law partner, said. He received his law degree from Florida State University in 1979. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Smitten had improperly deposited more than $88,000 belonging to his employer or the employers clients into his personal bank account instead of the law firms account. He worked his way through college and law school delivering pizzas and taking odd jobs. He will be eligible for parole when he is 85. That girl later filed a paternity suit against him. . Carol Ann Henke was born on February 5, 1946 in San Francisco, CA to Albert and Delores (Benson) Henke. "She was a very, very nice woman," said Bissett. Contrary to the argument of the trustees, the settlor provided a scheme of distribution that treated all of his children equally when all of his children were alive and equally when all of his children were dead. Scott Benson, according to Lombillo, thought the former beauty contest winner was "selfish, interested only in herself and her social life and her extravagances.". Investigators -- including ATF explosive experts called in from Washington, D.C. and Atlanta -- were attempting to determine how and where the bombs were placed in the wagon. 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. Get free summaries of new Pennsylvania Superior Court opinions delivered to your inbox! Valley Village, CA, in zip codes 91607 and 90042. Johnson v. Johnson, 410 Pa.Super. On July 9, 1985, Margaret H. Benson, the settlor's spouse, and Scott R. Benson, the adopted son of the settlor, died. 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. Brock University is a comprehensive institution with rich academic programs and world-class research activity. Steven was a match and on the receipt, a partial thumbprint was discovered. Kendall is the beneficiary of such a trust, hence the principal due to her from Scott's trust is added to her trust. unless there's something we don't know about.". He failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry. Caroline agreed to speak with the police. We only did criminal defense. During a deposition taken by Bensons lawyers in Florida on Sept. 20, Kendall, 40, said she was an unmarried teen-ager when she became pregnant. Heres how you can find public attorney discipline information. In re Edward H. BENSON, Settlor to Meridian Trust Company Substitute for American Bank and Trust Co. of Pa. 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. Trust Instrument, dated 9/30/80 at 5. 2011- Robert Hamberg, Gulf Coast High School band director, convicted on eight counts of lewd and lascivious sexual battery of a minor under16. It was not known if Scott. The Benson family made their millions from tobacco Margaret Benson was the daughter of Universal Leaf owner Harry Hitchcock, who was estimated to be worth over $100 million dollars. 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. You're all set! The home she was living in, valued at about $300,000, didn't have the right view. 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. On July 25, 1989, the trustees received a "disclaimer" signed by Kendall in which Carol Lynn Benson Kendall purported to disclaim her interest in the income, the 2% periodic payments and the principal of the Scott R. Benson Trust. He always belonged at the kids table metaphorically, Taylor Berry said. Since the trial court recognized the disclaimer to be effective with respect to income and the 2% periodic payments from principal, we address only the effectiveness of the disclaimer with regard to Kendall's claimed entitlement to one-half of Scott's trust share. Eventually, they found a store in Naples near Steven's office called Hugh's Supply that sold end caps matching the ones used to make the bomb. Steve Vaughan, Quail Creek's tennis pro, described Mrs. Benson as "a polite, well-mannered woman who cared about a lot of people.". Benson blew up his family in the driveway of their Florida home in July 1985 in a greedy attempt to inherit a $10 million Lancaster tobacco company fortune. SC16-2149), effective immediately, following a Sept. 22 court order. following a Sept. 14 court order. He talked to clients about ways they could become a better person, McFee said. "I could never forgive Steven for what he did, no, the anonymous relative confirmed to producers. Steven was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in prison. Naples Winter Wine Festival: How much did these 50 auction lots go for? Then a tabloid scandal erupted when it was revealed that Scott was actually Caroline's son she had secretly given birth and let her parents raise him as their adopted child. How old is Carol Lynn Benson? The Bensons, who moved to Naples from Lancaster in 1980 or 1981, purchased the 3-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home about 18 months ago, said Michelle Bissett, an employee of Foster Lechler Co., a Naples construction firm that built the house near the third tee of the private Quail Creek Country Club. I have a strong feeling Steven Benson also knew, Cirace said. 2010 -Mahmoud Gad acquitted on sexual battery charge when accused in 2008 of trying to rape his wifes friend. Upon his wife's death, with no surviving child under the age of twenty-five, the remaining principal was to be equally divided into shares, with each share then invested as a separate trust. Kendall was retained by clients in two separate cases but failed to adequately represent them. Despite the long hours in his career, Berry refused to miss school functions when his two children were young. She passed away on October 23, 2019 at Madonna Towers in Rochester. For one thing, Debbie Benson forbade Margaret Benson from seeing her grandchildren. he asked in the report. He left his wife and children an estate estimated at $400 million. The problem, testimony has indicated, started with family matriarch Margaret Benson, 63, heir to a Pennsylvania tobacco fortune. Who was Scott Benson's mother? Perhaps he owed someone money, or was selling drugs himself, or maybe he had seen something he wasn't meant to see. Carol Benson is 76 years old today because Carol's birthday is on 12/28/1945. FindLaw.com Free, trusted legal information for consumers and legal professionals, SuperLawyers.com Directory of U.S. attorneys with the exclusive Super Lawyers rating, Abogado.com The #1 Spanish-language legal website for consumers, LawInfo.com Nationwide attorney directory and legal consumer resources. "What impressed me most was that there wasn't an ashtray in the house: She owns a cigarette company -- and not an ashtray in the house.". NAPLES It was a most unlikely locale for such a stunning and violent crime -- inside the exclusive, tightly guarded Quail Creek subdivision, a few yards from the front door of an elegant $400,000 home. We had to preserve the scene because it was quite a large explosion. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline. Carl T. Work, Reading, for Meridan Trust Co., participating party. for crying out loud, it was a shock.". On August 22, 1985, Steven Benson was arrested for murdering Margaret Benson and Scott Benson and attempting to kill his sister. It is also well-established that "the writing itself must be considered to be the best and controlling evidence of the settlor's intent." 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. Thanks for helping with Find a Grave! He was friendly. Benson, now 53, is serving two life sentences in a Florida prison for killing his mother and brother, and trying to kill his sister. 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, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers dedicated its Tallahassee headquarters to him, renaming it The Berry Building.. Required fields are marked *. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys individual online Florida Bar profiles. HoweverHarold Young, the lead sheriff's detective who identified Benson as his primary suspect the day of the killings back in 1985, said in a report in the Naples Daily News that he is more surprised by the length of the investigation than the way Benson died. His youngest grandchild, Harrison, was too young for the trip. "She controlled the money, so Carol Lynn had to do what she wanted. A jury convicted Steven Benson of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and arson of a dwelling. 1987 Dominick Dunne's investigative crime show Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice devoted an hour for the case of Steven Benson. LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, and LAWSON, JJ., concur. . She was required to notify her clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of her suspension, and provide the Bar within 30 days a sworn affidavit listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities that were furnished a copy of the suspension order. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! They confirmed someone had bought that end cap type days before the explosion, and staff provided police with both a description of the person and a receipt. Martin, Carol Lynn (Author) ,Dinella, L (Author) . Received one year probation. In July 2015, he died in prison after a fellow inmate stabbed him in the head. "They were an unusual family," said psychiatrist Jose Lombillo. She practiced law while a suspended and delinquent member of the Bar. 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. Attorney (s) appearing for the Case 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. And it would have "that million-dollar look" Margaret Benson craved, Kerr testified. Or Scott? In 2002, TV legend Carol Burnett 's life was forever changed when her youngest daughter Carrie Hamilton, 38, died of cancer that had started . Respondent shall pay restitution in the amount of $1,075.00 to D'Mitri Reneau under the terms and conditions set forth in the report. 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. (Admitted to practice: 2010) Jones was found in contempt for non-compliance. "I heard it on the news, and well . Investigators also found on Benson's pants a single particle of zinc, which they said fell off the galvanized pipe while he was making the bombs. The email address cannot be subscribed. The records do not indicate when Benson sustained the wound to his right temple. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He was trying to get his hands on the $10 million family fortune from the Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co. Steven Benson was already spending large amounts of money from the family funds and his mother was planning to talk with him about it on the day she died, the trial revealed. Or was he stabbed by someone else? 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. 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 suspension in . Margaret Benson and her adopted son, Scott Benson, 21, died in the July 9, 1985 pipe bombing that her son, Steven Benson, 35, is accused of setting outside the family's Naples estate. Carol Lynn Benson Kendall Death, Obituary pending- Carol Lynn Benson Kendall has reportedly passed away unexpectedly and suddenly. An aerial shot of the home is shown in the background. 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. McFee said it was Berrys idea they only do criminal cases, which was unheard of but worked. Support local journalism. The stability and consequences of same-sex peer . They shared a motto, Day said: A day fighting the government is not a day wasted.. Other family members and associates include . He always believed that if the defense team was doing its job and the prosecution team was also doing its job, then justice will find its way, Day said. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. Steven Bensons trial is scheduled to begin in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 13. 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. ", According to Lombillo, Steven Benson was "quiet, intelligent and a soothing influence on the family.". Here is a mug shot of Steven Benson taken while he was in prison. On July 9, 1985, Margaret H. Benson, the settlor's spouse, and Scott R. Benson, the adopted son of the settlor, died. (Case No. But a medical examiner's report obtained by LNP states the cause of Benson's death was delayed complications of sharp force head trauma.. Menu. Associated Press. What are those large pyramids next to the Skyway? It wasnt discussed. Venakides subsequently became a delinquent member of the Bar due to failure to complete continuing legal education requirements. ", Mother and daughter seemed to get along "fairly well," McCormick said, although Margaret Benson "always tried to belittle her daughter.".