MINNEAPOLIS _ A 22-year-old man who authorities say fatally shot his parents in their Long Prairie, Minn., home may have fled to Mexico, according to charges filed Friday.
Barry Bennett, 63, a former NFL player and Long Prairie physical education teacher, and his wife, Carol, 66, were found dead in their home on Wednesday after a friend became concerned when phone calls and texts to the couple had gone unanswered since Tuesday. Barry Bennett was last seen alive about noon on Monday while he was in town, according to investigators.
Last December, Barry Bennett reported to the Todd County Sheriff's Office that his son, Dylan, who had been in a mental health treatment facility, had expressed thoughts about killing his parents. Bennett has no criminal record.
Barry Bennett, was found dead in the home's entryway. He had been shot multiple times. His wife, who also was shot multiple times, was found on the kitchen floor, according to the complaint that charges their son with murder in the second degree with intent, not premeditated. The autopsy and investigation indicates the two were shot sometime Monday during the morning or afternoon hours.
A vehicle used by Dylan Bennett was still at the home. On the car seat was an empty box for a 9 mm handgun, loose 9 mm rounds and another box of 9 mm ammunition. A car used by Carol Bennett was missing. Police say Dylan Bennett withdrew a large sum of cash from the couple's bank account about 9 a.m. Monday. According to the complaint, it's likely Dylan Bennett made his way to Columbus, Ohio, where he boarded a flight Wednesday to Atlanta and then to Cancun, Mexico. Phone usage indicates he was likely in Mexico as recently as Thursday.
Investigators say Carol Bennett's debit and credit cards were used at locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Before he boarded his flight from Columbus, police say Dylan Bennett met up with someone and asked that person hold onto his 9mm gun for him. Carol Bennett's Hyundai was located in a motel parking lot in the Columbus area.
The Todd County sheriff's office at (320)732-2157 or 911. The sheriff's office said the suspect's vehicle has been located outside Minnesota.
