A modern day "In Cold Blood"
Sara Gregory
Issue date: 9/30/09 Section: Opinion
A week ago, five family members were brutally murdered in their home of Benson, Ill., approximately three hours east of Macomb.
Raymond and Ruth Gee, ages 46 and 39, and their three children, ages 16, 14 and 11, were beaten to death.
Police responded to a call of shots fired near their home to find the entire family dead, with the exception of the 3-year-old daughter who remains in critical but stable condition at Peoria Hospital.
Very few details have been released about the tragedy, except that all injuries inflicted on the scene were blunt-force trauma. No suspects have been named or arrested.
It's eerie how familiar it sounds. An entire family left dead, no motive or suspects, brutal killings. The 1966 novel by Truman Capote "In Cold Blood" explores the sadistic mindset of the two parolees who murdered the Clutters, a family of four, in 1959.
The character based on Perry Smith said "It doesn't make sense. I mean what happened. It had nothing to do with the Clutters. They never hurt me. They just happened to be there. I thought Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman … I thought so right up to the time I cut his throat."
The scary thing is the killer(s) of Benson are still out there. There isn't a suspect profile to keep in mind. We don't even know how many people to look for. All we can be sure of is that it takes an especially dangerous psychopath to beat an entire family to death.
It's one thing to read "In Cold Blood." It's quite another when you see it happen in the real world. Stay sharp, Macomb. Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and keep your doors locked. Benson is not that far from here.
Police are looking for a gray-primer painted pickup truck seen in the area on Sunday and are asking for any tips relating to this case. If you have a tip, call the tipline at 217-732-3000.
Raymond and Ruth Gee, ages 46 and 39, and their three children, ages 16, 14 and 11, were beaten to death.
Police responded to a call of shots fired near their home to find the entire family dead, with the exception of the 3-year-old daughter who remains in critical but stable condition at Peoria Hospital.
Very few details have been released about the tragedy, except that all injuries inflicted on the scene were blunt-force trauma. No suspects have been named or arrested.
It's eerie how familiar it sounds. An entire family left dead, no motive or suspects, brutal killings. The 1966 novel by Truman Capote "In Cold Blood" explores the sadistic mindset of the two parolees who murdered the Clutters, a family of four, in 1959.
The character based on Perry Smith said "It doesn't make sense. I mean what happened. It had nothing to do with the Clutters. They never hurt me. They just happened to be there. I thought Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman … I thought so right up to the time I cut his throat."
The scary thing is the killer(s) of Benson are still out there. There isn't a suspect profile to keep in mind. We don't even know how many people to look for. All we can be sure of is that it takes an especially dangerous psychopath to beat an entire family to death.
It's one thing to read "In Cold Blood." It's quite another when you see it happen in the real world. Stay sharp, Macomb. Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and keep your doors locked. Benson is not that far from here.
Police are looking for a gray-primer painted pickup truck seen in the area on Sunday and are asking for any tips relating to this case. If you have a tip, call the tipline at 217-732-3000.
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