Johnny O’Landis Bennett was sentenced to death by the State of North Carolina for a kidnapping and murder. According to court documents Johnny O’Landis Bennett would kidnap Benton Smith who was forced to cash his unemployment check and then would be murdered. Johnny O’Landis Bennett would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
South Carolina Death Row Inmate List
Johnny O’Landis Bennett 2021 Information
Admission Date: 10/19/1995
Location: Broad River
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The victim in this case, 24 year old Benton Smith (Victim), disappeared on Tuesday, November 27, 1990. He was last seen leaving his residence in the Happy Town area of Gaston, South Carolina with Bennett. The two left in Victim’s 1980 Toyota, en route to cash Victim’s $147.00 unemployment check. Victim cashed his check at 11:56 AM; this was the last time he was seen alive. Bennett was seen driving Victim’s automobile later that day; he gave a number of items from Victim’s car to friends.
Victim’s car was subsequently found outside the school where Bennett’s mother worked. After giving a number of conflicting statements to police, Bennett confessed to the murder,1 and led police to Victim’s body near his sister’s home.
An autopsy revealed 70-75 stab wounds, primarily to Victim’s head, neck and upper back, inflicted with a Phillips head screwdriver. The cause of death was internal bleeding or asphyxiation secondary to the stab wounds.