State
of Florida
Office of the State Attorney
16th Judicial Circuit
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Office of the State Attorney 16th Judicial Circuit
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Criminal Justice System Overview Employment Opportunities |
Bennett Guilty of Murder and Child Abuse FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 13, 2006 A jury late today found Christopher Lamont Bennett, 31, guilty of beating his five-year-old son Zachary to death in April 2003. Bennett was convicted of felony murder and aggravated child abuse – crimes that require one of two possible penalties: life behind bars or death. The jury delivered its verdict after having deliberated a brief two hours. The same 12-member panel handing down today’s unanimous guilty verdict will reconvene in two months for the penalty phase of the trial to decide Bennett’s punishment. Today’s verdict followed a week of testimony and evidence by turns emotional and graphic from law enforcement officers, medical experts and Bennett’s family and friends. Prosecution witness Monroe County Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Hunter produced post-mortem and autopsy photographs showing the boy’s 40-pound body mottled with over 30 distinct injuries: his brain and liver were ruptured; a lung was punctured and his heart was damaged; two ribs were broken. Dr. Hunter testified that Zachary had hemorrhaged about 13% of his total blood volume into his abdomen. Bennett’s defense counsel hired pathologist Dr. Edward Willey to challenge the State’s estimate of the time of Zachary’s death. While Dr. Willey argued that pinpointing the timing of injuries was an inexact science, he conceded that all of Zachary’s injuries had occurred within 24 hours of his death. He also agreed that Zachary was the victim of a homicide. Christopher Bennett also took the stand in his own defense. During direct examination he described his close relationship with Zachary: he said the two played baseball, watched TV and shared a bedroom together. Bennett said Zachary seemed to be fine the evening before his death, if “a little tired.” Friends and family members agreed with that part of Bennett’s testimony. Bennett said he awakened from a nap on the morning of April 15, 2003 to find Zachary cold and unresponsive in his bed. He said he tried to administer CPR, but in his “panic” neglected to call 911 until at least 40 minutes after Zachary had stopped breathing. When State Attorney’s prosecutors asked how his energetic, healthy son had met his death from blunt-force trauma, Bennett responded, over and over, “I didn’t do it.” The sentencing phase of the trial is scheduled to begin April 4 in Key West. |
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Last modified:
10/23/07
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