Volume 15 , Issue 26

Joan Benson's Attitude Toward Slayer of Brother (1941)

Although showing some change in her attitude, Miss Eva Joan Benson, 15 year old sweetheart of Kenneth Roots, who was in the Woods county jail where he faced charges of murdering her brother collaborated her former statements to County Attorney Bill Gruber in a session behind closed doors Saturday (6 December 1941).

Miss Benson, who asked to see her brother's slayer the day after he had surrendered himself to county authorities and made a signed statement to Gruber that he shot Donald Benson, the 22 year old deceased brother, showed signs of "turning against" Roots that Saturday afternoon.

In making her statement to Gruber the day after Roots was arrested, Miss Benson left the impression that she held no animosity toward him for shooting her brother Donal, who was in a critical condition at that time in the Hardtner hospital.

The shooting victim died Tuesday night, and the county attorney asked Miss Benson to come to his office Saturday, after funeral services for her brother had been conducted.

Although she had little to say about her attitude toward Roots then, Gruber said that Miss Benson had changed and showed "some bitterness" against Roots for causing her brother's death.

"She told the same story except she added in some of the conversation which had taken place prior to the shooting." Gruber said. She collaborated her former statements in the presence of her father who accompanied her to Gruber's office.

Both the defense attorney and the county attorney contend that the preliminary hearing scheduled for 10 a.m., December 16, would produce "sensational disclosures," in the matter. Nether attorney would drop an "inkling" as to what detailed information as to the alleged motive of the crime was, or certain "angles" on the case would be brought out tin the hearing, to be conducted in the county court before Judge J. J. Glaser.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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