E196: SERIAL KILLER – Trent Christopher Benson

This week Beth and Wendy discuss the case of Trent Christopher Benson, a South Korean-born American serial predator who raped four women and strangled two of them to death. Benson committed his crimes against women at different times over a three-year period in the Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona area.

This episode was researched & scripted by Wendy & Beth Williams and was edited by Minnie Williams.

Thanks for listening! This is a weekly podcast and new episodes drop every Thursday, so until next time… look alive guys, it’s crazy out there!

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Carol Costello Present: Blind Rage. In this podcast, journalist Carol Costello revisits the first big assignment she covered as a 22-year-old, novice reporter: Phyllis Cottles’ brutal attack. Psychologists call them “Triumphant Survivors,” but Phyllis Cottle was more than a survivor, she used this crime to better herself and the world around her.

Shout Outs

Immigrantly (podcast)
https://immigrantlypod.com/

Billy Porter on The Black Mona Lisa Tour
https://consequence.net/2023/03/billy-porter-black-mona-lisa-tour-dates-2023/

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Footnotes

Articles/Websites

Wikipedia. (03/19/2023). Trent Christopher Benson. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Benson

Haga, Chuck. (04/29/2009). Former Fosston resident’s attorney tries to uncover past as murder trial nears. Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://www.grandforksherald.com/newsmd/former-fosston-residents-attorney-tries-to-uncover-past-as-murder-trial-nears

Justia. (07/31/2013). THE STATE OF ARIZONA v. TRENT CHRISTOPHER BENSON. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://cases.justia.com/arizona/supreme-court/cr-11-0344.pdf?ts=1462297176

Grado, Gary. (05/28/2008). Accused predator’s arrest shocks his son’s mom. EastValley.com. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/accused-predator-s-arrest-shocks-his-son-s-mom/article_459c175f-1bdf-55b8-8b0b-ad75985d8995.html

DL News Staff. (12/06/2008). Fosston community still baffled by assault, murder case. DL Online. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://www.dl-online.com/news/fosston-community-still-baffled-by-assault-murder-case

Schoetz, David. (05/15/2008). DNA Ties ‘Serial Predator’ to Rapes, Murders. ABC News. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4863147&page=1

Grado, Gary. (11/11/2007). Meth led from wealth to unsolved Mesa killing. EastValley.com. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/meth-led-from-wealth-to-unsolved-mesa-killing/article_3031b8e1-cdcb-5fe9-a768-f412d63c6727.html

Tucson.com. (12/11/2007). Mesa P.D. asks FBI for help solving two killings. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://tucson.com/news/mesa-p-d-asks-fbi-for-help-solving-two-killings/article_e06061c4-ea7b-539e-a4b9-d0a64bb71de5.html

Grado, Gary. (05/01/2008). Autopsy: Woman found in canal was strangled. EastValley.com. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/autopsy-woman-found-in-canal-was-strangled/article_d0abb7bf-3f2b-5cc9-b2de-59226bf885c8.html

My Crime Library. (03/13/2021). Trent Benson Arizona Death Row. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from https://mycrimelibrary.com/trent-benson-arizona-death-row/

Kimball, Camille. (08/02/2011). Trent Benson Case. Camille Kimball Blogspot. Retrieved 05/07/2023 from http://camillekimball.blogspot.com/2011/08/sometimes-i-cant.html

History

National Geographic Kids. (n.d.). South Korea. Retrieved 05/09/2023 from https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/south-korea

New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). History of South Korea. Retrieved 05/10/2023 from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/History_of_South_Korea

Dao, Elenee. (05/09/2023). A look at Mesa’s Asian District as it continues to grow. ABC15. Retrieved 05/10/2023 from https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/mesa/a-look-at-mesas-asian-district-as-it-continues-to-grow

Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). History of South Korea. Retrieved 05/10/2023 from https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Korea/Economic-and-social-developments

History.com Editors. (08/21/2018). South Korea. History. Retrieved 05/10/2023 from https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/south-korea

The Asian District, Mesa, AZ.

https://www.asiandistrictmesa.com/

Kung, Andrew. (03/03/2020). The desexualization of the Asian American male. CNN. Retrieved 05/27/2023 from https://www.cnn.com/style/article/andrew-kung-asian-american-men/index.html

Canh. (n.d.). Transracial adoptees and Adoption Trauma. Liberation Healing Seattle. Retrieved 05/27/2023 from https://www.liberationhealingseattle.com/blog-trauma-therapist/transracial-adoptees-therapy-seattle

How Not to Get Murdered

Bird, Michele. (05/06/2023). These Women Shared The VERY SMART Tips They Have For Living Alone, And They’re Sad But Useful. BuzzFeed. Retrieved 05/27/2023 from

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelelbird/women-living-alone-safety-tips

Music

“Abyss” by Alasen: ●https://soundcloud.com/alasen●https://twitter.com/icemantrap ●https://instagram.com/icemanbass/●https://soundcloud.com/therealfrozenguy●
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

“Lean and Pills” by Arulo

Mixkit Stock Music Free License

https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/trap/

“Calling” by Caslo

https://freemusicarchive.org/music/caslo/

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

“Make Thirst a Joy” by Marlene Miller. Used with permission. Find her Facebook and Instagram under SEMNCHY or marlenemiller138@gmail.com

“Furious Freak” by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3791-furious-freak
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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