Shawn Bentler
Shawn Bentler (born February 5, 1984) is a convicted mass murderer from Bonaparte, Iowa. He murdered his parents and three sisters, it was claimed, to inherit his family's fortune. He was consequently sentenced to four concurrent life sentences and a consecutive life sentence to be served in an Iowa State Prison. Shawn lived in Quincy Illinois, with two other roommates. Shawn and his best friend Keith moved, to Quincy in 2002 to attend JWCC. He was currently working at Neal Colman auto sales at the time. His youngest sister was on the phone with 911 yelling "No Shawn, please don't!" when he shot her.
Shawn Bentler | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 February 1984 Iowa, United States |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Parent(s) | Michael and Sandra Bentler |
| Motive | Inheritance |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Penalty | Five consecutive life sentences |
| Details | |
| Date | October 14, 2006 3:30 a.m. |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Iowa |
| Location(s) | Bonaparte |
| Target(s) | Family |
| Killed | 5 |
| Weapons | .22 caliber rifle |
| Imprisoned at | Anamosa State Prison |
The crime
Shawn murdered his parents and three teenage sisters in the early hours of October 14, 2006, with a .22-caliber rifle. Prosecutors claimed his motivation was to inherit the family fortune.
The key piece of evidence in the trial was a 911 call placed by his 14-year-old sister, Shayne. In the 3:30 a.m. call, she told dispatchers her brother was in the home and "going to do something." The phone call ended with a scream.
Shawn Bentler took the stand and said he had stolen from his parents and hated his father, but did not kill his family.[1]
Sentencing
On June 19, 2007, Shawn Bentler was sentenced to four concurrent life sentences and a consecutive life sentence to be served in an Iowa State Prison. The four life sentences that are concurrent are for the murders of the three Bentler girls and their father, Michael Bentler.
Judge Michael Mullins sentenced Bentler to a consecutive sentence for the murder of his mother, Sandra Bentler. Mullins called that death in particular "absolutely merciless."[2]
References
- Jordan, Erin. "Bentler testifies, disputes 911 call". The Des Moines Register. The Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- "Bentler Sentenced to 5 Life Prison Terms". Iowa State Daily. June 21, 2007. Retrieved February 8, 2018.