By Brandon Cottrell
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – Jacob Allen Bennett was named a suspect in the rural Tennessee murders of John Lajeunesse, age 16; Steven Presley, age 17; Dominic Davis, age 17; and Danielle Jacobson, age 22. The four victims, who were headed to nearby Renegade Mountain to go four-wheeling, were found dead in a parked car near the mountain.
The area where the car was found is part of a 3,000 acre former resort. The area is very wooded and isolated with less than 50 full time residents. One of those residents said that with “10 miles of road on 3,000 acres it’s easy to . . . be invisible once you get past the gate.” Many other residents say the area has lacked sufficient security ever since new owners got rid of a controlled access gate and fence that once surrounded the entire resort.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn believes that, “The citizens of Cumberland County and Crossville can rest assured that we have the person who committed the crimes in custody [and] that the community is safe.” Bennett, age 26, has been arrested five times previously, though the authorities have released few details pertaining those arrests. Of the arrests, reporters have discovered that one of the arrests was for being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. It is also believed that Bennett has been arrested for theft.
While Bennett was identified as a suspect quickly, no one has said why Bennett was initially identified. Deputy District Attorney General Gary McKenzie said that, “There are some indications that there was some connection between the suspect and one, possibly two of the victims,” but he declined to specify which of the victims might have known Bennett.
McKenzie also failed to mention a possible motive or give other details about the case. Other authorities, however, say they believe the four victims were deliberately targeted. Additionally, they are pursuing leads and have ruled out the possibility that the murder was one of the victims and that none of the victims committed suicide.
Donald Andrews, the superintendent of the school district where three of the victims attended school, said that the murders were “just a surprise; it’s one of those this doesn’t happen here kind of things . . . it’s actually a grim reminder to us all that we’re vulnerable.” However, it is not yet clear what made these four victims vulnerable. Some local residents wonder whether it was a drug deal gone badly, a theft or just a fight but they will have to wait for answers to those questions.
For more information, please see:
ABC – Suspect in Shooting of Woman, 3 Teens Arrested – 13 September 2013
CBS News – Four Found Shot To Death In Car Near Former Tenn. Mountain Resort; Person Of Interest In Custody, Report Says – 13 September 2013
CNN- Suspect Detained In Rural Tennessee Slayings Of 4 – 13 September 2013
Fox News – Tenn. Shooting Victims In Car Include 3 Teens; Person Of Interest Taken Into Custody – 13 September 2013
