Arthur Gus Bennett

Sources

1. Child Molester Accused of Fraud and Murder, New York Times, October 18, 1998.
2. Arthur Bennett commits suicide in jail cell, Las Vegas Sun, July 13, 1999.

• 1. Child Molester Accused of Fraud and Murder

  • 19981018
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  • New York Times

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  Child Molester Accused of Fraud and Murder
  Published: October 18, 1998

  LAS VEGAS, Oct. 17 — Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for a child molester who is accused of faking his own death in a trailer fire to collect on his insurance and escape sexual assault charges.

  The man, Arthur Gus Bennett, made his initial appearance on Friday before Judge Donald Mosley of State District Court. The judge set Mr. Bennett's arraignment for Oct. 29 to allow his public defenders time to study reports on DNA samples obtained by the prosecution.

  Mr. Bennett, 45, is being held without bond on Nevada charges of murder with a deadly weapon, first-degree arson, first-degree kidnapping with substantial bodily harm, insurance fraud, theft and sexual assault of a minor under 14.

  Chris Owens and David Schwartz, Clark County chief deputy district attorneys, said the state was seeking the death penalty because of aggravating circumstances surrounding the death of the unknown victim in the trailer fire on Feb. 3, 1994, at Lake Mead.

• 2. Arthur Bennett commits suicide in jail cell

  • 19990713
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  • Las Vegas Sun

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  A Marine accused of faking his own death in a trailer fire five years ago apparently committed suicide in his jail cell, where he was awaiting court-martial on sexual assault charges.

  Bennett was scheduled to face a court-martial Wednesday on charges of sexually assaulting his young daughters and teen-agers of fellow Marines in Yuma, Ariz., and Okinawa, Japan.

  Bennett also faced murder and other charges in Las Vegas on allegations he faked his own death in February 1994 to escape a court-martial on charges of assaulting the teen-agers.

  Bennett was being held in military custody pending the outcome of the court-martial. He had been brought to Las Vegas from Yuma, Ariz., and was being detained in the Clark County Detention Center.

  As a result of the fire, Bennett faced a Feb. 7, 2000, trial here on charges including murder, arson, kidnapping, insurance fraud and theft. He had pleaded innocent to all counts.

  This week's court-martial was ordered during an Article 32 hearing earlier this year. The military equivalent of a preliminary hearing, it featured testimony from two of Bennett's daughters, his ex-wife, Amelia, and fellow Marines whose daughters were allegedly assaulted by Bennett.

  Bennett's 17-year-old daughter testified during the hearing that he sexually assaulted her "about every night" between 1995 and 1997, when the family lived in Hurricane.