It's getting to the point where I'm going to start carrying a gun around.

Posted by crawfish_13 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Both had suffered blunt force trauma,...and they could have been beaten."

Ya think?

Posted by waterfrontproperty (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

i think it was the Rooskees

Posted by hype1 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Crawfish_13.....It's my understanding that Mr. Bennett had a current Concealed Carry license.It is unfortunate that he did not elect to take his weapon out that morning, or we might have a real clue as to the identity of his attacker...because the attacker would have been laying there instead of Mr. Bennett.

I've stepped up my efforts to get my concealed carry. In the meantime, I'm carrying open.

Posted by Bulletproof (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

shouldn't a former CIA "contractor" know better than to get into a routine?? This is how the enemy gets you.

Posted by lummox1 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 3:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Did the officers check the immigration status of anyone in the van? Certainly not!

Posted by Client-9 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just a sad act regardless. Hopefully they find the attackers.

Posted by RMC1971 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The article says they were beaten by as many as 3 assailants. How do they know there were 3? Sad story...there's no safe places anymore.

Posted by KAE52 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Bulletproof and Crawfish - had Mr. Bennett been carrying a gun then they'd know the cause of death...it would have been a gunshot wound. Unfortunately, the victim(s) still may have been Mr. Bennett AND Mrs. Bennett. Just because you carry a gun doesn't mean you're going to be the last one standing!

Posted by aktotlykrzy (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I guess the big headline outing his employer is meant to suggest something other than that they employ thousands of people in the Metro Washington area alone.
Maybe it easier to accept something like this when we can convince ourselves that the victims somehow contributed to their own barbaric death. Last night some idiot wrote "what were they doing out at that hour?" on one of the articles. Like these poor folks didn't have a right to walk in their own neighborhood.
This may have been as simple as savages in a van getting too close, words yelled with middle fingers and an attack.
Prayers for Mrs. Bennett and her family.

Posted by menopausequeen (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So police pull over a van fitting description of a wanted vehicle. The vehicle is seen crusing in a residential area at 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday and police pull them over early Sunday morning and the dudes say they are just "looking for work". . .? The police BELIEVED them? Just where were these officers trained? *scratches head* Don't know about anyone else, but a strange van crusing residential neighborhoods sounds like looking for work all right - like work breaking into homes!

Posted by GenuineRisk (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I used to live in Landsdowne - thought it was one of the safest places until a lot of new development started in that area and illegal workers/criminals are afoot. I took full advantage of my concealed license every jog...

Posted by seawolfR (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 4:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There is no question that even in what is a majority White community that you need to carry a gun for protection. Our country is so diverse and these people are so violent that a gun is the only possible protection you may have. I pray that Mrs Bennett survives and can give a description of the individuals involved.

Posted by junglejamm (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 5:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Anybody who lives in Lansdowne, feel free to confirm or disagree. I believe Lansdowne has a very diverse mix of ethnicities that live there. Whites being a majority isn't necessarily the case. If they are, it's not by much.

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

aktotlykrzy, you're right, it doesn't mean you'll win, but your chances are a heck of a lot better. Your comment strikes me as what a person who lacks confidence in their ability to use a weapon and who has been drinking gun control kool-aid might say. It also struck me as dismissive of the impact of weapon in the way of a person who has neither been shot or shot at.

If weapons aren't a good tool against people intending you harm, why do police and soldiers carry them? For show? To distract from their clever negotiating skills they really use to defeat their aggressors? Secret hug tactics? I think I heard of a DOD program like that . . . . a hug cannon for urban warfare.

Another classic gun control argument aktotlykrzy raised is, "the bad guys will turn the weapon on you." This current sad situation shows that doesn't need to happen for you to lose. No indication in any report I've read of the Bennetts having lost a weapon to the assailants. In this case, Bennett's apparent lack of a weapon certainly didn't save him.

Sounds like they just beat them. Had Bennett carried a weapon, he might still be dead, but I think there's a good chance at least one of the assailants would have gone down too, that he would have been more successful in what I expect were his efforts to protect his wife, and the police would having something more to go on in hunting down the remaining assailants. Most people with bullets in them slow down, many stop, and many quit and try to escape. If they don't, they weren't going to anyway.

Or, maybe the assailants just needed to be talked to nicely to keep this from happening? Society was mean to them, it's not their fault? These scum don't need bullets to the brain, they need a warm cup of cocoa and a soft shoulder to cry on until they see the world all better . . . .

Unless I miss my guess, there are a lot of Lansdowne residents who know a lot about the pointy end of a gun and street safety. I suspect folks don't intend to allow what happened to the Bennett's to be easily repeated in what is supposed to be our safe haven.

menopausequeen, well said.

Posted by yelpmac (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 6:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yes, Lansdowne is very diverse ethnically. And lots of veterans live here as well. Some of my neighbors have well-filled gun lockers.

Posted by jt12 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 6:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hmm. KAE52, my guess is there may have been signs of three different weapons, or something like that. Good question.

Posted by cmckeonjr (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

OhTheHumanity, I agree. It seems that Lansdowne is nicely diverse. Much more so than I would expect for "the burbs". A great thing.

Posted by yelpmac (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 8:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

From Leesburg Today (By Erika Jacobson), there was a home invasion at the couple's home.
http://tiny.cc/j5Aor

"We don't see things that they did wrong here," he said, adding that it could simply be a factor of "being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
There does appear to have been a home invasion at the couple's home, Simpson added.

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 10:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Another article stated that a marked Sheriff's patrol car would have been parked in a driveway on the Bennett's street at the time of the attack. Home invasion with a Sheriff's car parked on the street? Incredibly brazen. Sounds targeted.

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 10:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I said in an earlier article for people to automatically assume that it was illegal aliens that did this was not a slam dunk. I said that this guy had a concealed weapon license which means that he may have been working as someone in a capacity of law enforcement that might have tipped his hat to potential enemies that he is a target for wrongdoing. I feel for his family but to stereotype immigrants is wrong until we know all the facts. If the house was broken into then they were probably looking for something other than a basic robbery. That sounds a little to pre-meditated for illegal aliens.

Posted by keithlb28 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Xenophobic morons at their best on this blog. If I were to do a crime I will get a white van because it will make these morons look for the wrong man.

Posted by hock1 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 12:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It doesn't sound specifically targeted to me, if it were, I don't think they would have clubbed the Bennetts in a residential neighborhood. That takes too long. Even if Mr. Bennett had his weapon with him, if they were ambushed, which it sounds like, he probably couldn't have gotten it out in time. Too bad. Hopefully Mrs. Bennett will recover.

Posted by SkyTrooper (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What a sad story. Prayers for the family of the victims, and I hope the perps are caught soon.
In northern VA so many people work in some capacity for FedGov, whether as a contractor or direct-hire, that I wouldn't read too much into his CIA "affiliation". I also wouldn't make any assumptions based on him having a CHL either, as in "shall-issue" states like Virginia an average of 2% of adults have one.

Posted by gieriscm1 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

While the racist knuckledraggers posting to this blog show their real colors, I can't help but wonder if the victim was about to rat on crimes committed during the administration of preppie thug George Bush Jr. and his boss Dick Cheney. That would be grounds for "executive action" among the Axis of Oil.

Posted by unclebeef (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"...that they are confident its occupants were college students selling magazines ..."

this is a favorite cover story used by the Zionists / Mossad, especially while in the usa.

for example, some of the Zionists / Mossad agents taken into custody after 9/11 for filming the jets flying into the WTC claimed that they were college students selling magazine subscriptions and were released and immediately flew back to Zionland.

and who buys magazine subscriptions from door to door salespeople these days ???

Posted by flo_mo_t (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

and why would you drive all the way from Florida to sell magazine subscriptions in Loudoun County Virginia ???

those van occupants all need to be apprehended and water boarded. they either are involved or witnessed what transpired.

Posted by flo_mo_t (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Someone mentioned how "odd" they thought it was that a white van would be driving slowly through the neighborhood at 5:30 AM. It happens in my neighborhood every Sunday - they're delivering newspapers.

Considering the rest of the comments - since the Police are obviously dragging their feet on this (after all, it's been a whole week!), I think it's time for all you rootin'-tootin' gun-toting SOBs get yerselves a posse and round up them illegal varmints! Y'all know where they are - landscaping your lawns, building your houses, fixing your MacDonalds - go on out there, git 'em, and instead of caterwauling in this here chat room, git out there and SHOOT them. It's the only thing that will make us all safer, you know. Think how much better you'll feel when they finally find the real perps.

Posted by TheSkepticTank (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If Mr Bennett did carry that morning, the outcome may have changed. Maybe he did injure one of the attackers from his SF training and the other attackers had to finish him off since Mr Bennett put up a good fight?

If thats the case, then maybe the hospitals need to be on the look out and report any injuries like broken wrist, dislocated shoulder to the Sheriffs office.

But if their house did get broken into, was it random or coincindence?

Posted by minhvo72 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Cheneys execution squad still active I see.

Posted by terrible1 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

where in the hell did it say anything about immigrants in the van.I'm reading the majority of these post and most are eluding to immigrants looking for work that were in the van which is not the case if you read the article above it states "Authorities said that the van was pulled over by deputies Saturday evening and searched and that they are confident its occupants were college students selling magazines and are not connected to Bennett's slaying".They could have ditched everything by then back in florida by now on to killing the next person on their list. Seems like a targeted hit to me made to seem like a random act.

Posted by kilani23 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"While the racist knuckledraggers posting to this blog show their real colors, I can't help but wonder if the victim was about to rat on crimes committed during the administration of preppie thug George Bush Jr. and his boss Dick Cheney. That would be grounds for "executive action" among the Axis of Oil.
Posted by unclebeef "

You forgot tinfoil wearing conspiracy nutcase wackos like yourself too.

Posted by accentmark (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Please don't start again searching for a "white van". That sure didnt help in the sniper killings a few years ago did it. There are zillions of white vans everywhere.
Looking for white vans could only lead to more confusion(and the wrong vehicle)as it did in the sniper case.Check with the FBI to see if Mr. Bennett was in the witness protection program. Sounds like he was very secretive and hiding from someone. Maybe he had made many enemies. Who knows? Interesting case. Hard to believe it was random.

Posted by joebstewart (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

To the poster that deemed the county now unsave based on illigals How about considering that this crime was not committed by illegals seeing that your interpretation of an illegal is any hispanics in a group. How about considering that the crime was committed by someone white in the community. Its not like white people cant be homicidal. How about waiting until they catch someone for the crime before deciding who the official criminals of the community are. Virginians can be so stupid with their scared sububanite theories. If you bothered to read something besides the DC area crime reports you would find that violent acts are not being commited by just one group or race of people in this country.

Posted by ged0386 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Contact Jack Bauer... he can help solve this within 24 hours!!

Posted by cafweston (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 1:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sounds like the Clintons are in town. Thought she was pissing off the Mexicans

Posted by Funnyguyva (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Okay ged0368, lets read the Loudoun county violent crime report for 2008.

For starters, we had three murders last year.
1) Leesburg Eduardo Santo Machada killed by Narico Landero Pans...illegal
2.)Middleburg, Terrence E. Dade shot and killed and aquaintence...Americans
3.) Danilo Ramirez Vega shot in Sterling by two unidentified hispanic males.

Hmm, 2 out of three.

Now lets look at other violent crime in 2008

*There were several home invasion sexual assaults committed against women in their beds...suspect a stocky hispanic male
*Carlos Felipe Conena raped a 5yo...illegal
*Arnold J. Mancia-Morales raped a 75yo...illegal (suspected of raping a woman in her 50's too)
*An hispanic male was stabbed in Sterling...gang related (MS-13 vs. 18th Street)
*2 teens shot in Sterling...gang related (MS-13 vs. 18th Street

It may very well not have been committed by an illegal or a gang member but based on recent violence around here, that is naturally one of the first things that come to mind (My first suspicion was gangs)

Posted by JustMeSterling (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Attacked at 5:30 a.m.-when it's dark? The local paper says there was a home invasion of the man's house, but that doesn't make sense. Why invade the home, but attack them while out on a jog? If nothing was robbed in the home invasion, it's very suspicious.

And why, as the paper reports, would three Florida college student be out to sell magazines at 5:30 a.m.? Is it a crew of Israeli "college students," and did the man have anything to do with expose re Mossad ops? Mossad now does brazen crimes like this. Recall the Israeli "moving van" men cheering the fall of the twin towers?

So, their dna may be on the scene. There should be evidence. And did they try to smash skulls to prevent anyone talking? IF attacked on the road, the wife may have tried to run away--her blood was spattered on a fence on the OPPOSITE side of the road, then she was dumped over the fence. Not the type of work of random attackers, nor would they usually do such at such an hour. It's all very suspicious.

Posted by globuo01hotmailcom (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To: TheSepticTank.
Dude, what's with the intolerance and attempts to incite a racial riot?

Do you see any gun owners here touting taking the law into their own hands? No, they are speaking of self-defense.

Go visit a gun range one day and you will see not everyone of the 80 million gun owners in this country is a redneck hopped up on moonshine or a trigger-happy cowboy. So please, if you know nothing of other's lifestyle, refrain from embarrassing yourself by making idiotic comments.

As for me, one of my two best girls, Beretta and Kimber, is always by my side and ready to protect me and my family should the need arises.

Posted by Chuckled (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What this article fails to mention (maybe the reporter didn't know?) is that the "college students" in the van with Florida tags had been in Shenstone and the surrounding areas on Saturday afternoon and evening, and although they were "selling magazines," they were lying about where they were from (stating that they were neighbors alternatively from Beacon Hill and the Hidden Gap areas depending upon which neighbor he spoke to), that they were selling magazines for the benefit of local charities, lying about having sold subscriptions to neighbors (but giving you enough personal information about your neighbor to make you believe it's true), asking questions about where and when you work, about the vehicles in your driveway, about the habits of your neighbors (particularly the ones on the street with long driveways that make seeing the house difficult from the road), and trying to make excuses to get inside your house. The kid that came to my house came with a skateboard and said that he had ridden it across Route 7. He wasn't wearing a coat (it was about 45 degrees) because he claimed he left it at home, but when I saw him leave in his van, he was wearing one. He even suggested that he come inside so that he could write on a table. He wasn't afraid of my two very loud barking dogs either. Oh, and when my neighbor called the sheriff's department to report the incident, the deputy advised her that these boys had been seen trying the doors and windows of houses in Shenstone when no one answered the door. So, they may have been "college students selling magazines," but I believe they were also scoping houses in presumably affluent neighborhoods to determine which ones would make the best targets for home invasions.

Oh, and the boy who came to my house was Caucasian, with chin length blond hair, and was about 6'1 and weighed about 155-160 pounds. He was tall and very slender. He was also a very smooth talker. Even if these college students are not involved in the Bennett case - and I'm not suggesting that they are - they are scammers who are obtaining money under false pretenses.

Be vigilant!!

Posted by urdileoj (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 5:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This guy and his wife would not be easy targets, they should have been carrying firearms, if not they still would not have gone down easy. Sounds like a professional hit by the CIA, who are just cleaning house. Maybe, they saw or knew something during their tours. Kind of like that crew that loaded those live nukes on that airplane up in North Dakota. They called the media immediately to report the hijinks and within a couple weeks they were all dead. Accidents, suicides or beaten to death. Cheney did get away with one live nuke in that deal, that why he's still threatening us. Google Government Mass graves outside Phoenix, AZ

Posted by Max12 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 5:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

College students, like myself, stay up through all hours of the night. So it's possible, yes. But uh... why is everything about race? Get educated and stop being bigoted.

Posted by michael.jarrell (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dear little max12 - - your asylum is rescinding your day pass and wants you to return immediately.

Posted by segeny (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sidearm? no way.

Had he been carrying an RPG, he could have easily taken out the white van & saved himself.

If you're going to protect yourself & family, why go half way?

Posted by blueridgepro (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 9:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

1. About the home invasion: One newspaper quoted Simpson as saying: There does appear to have been a home invasion at the couple's home. Another newspaper quoted Simpson as saying There does NOT appear to have been a home invasion at the couple's home. Clearly one of the newspapers made a typographical error. None of us has any idea which has it wrong.

2. As to the Mossad, CIA, Mafia, or any other "professional" hit. Wouldn't these kinds of professionals have been -- well -- a lot more "professional" about this business? Like a bullet through the head, put there by a gun with a silencer? While the perp sat comfortably in the front seat of the van? Beating someone to death seems terribly clumsy for a professional -- much to untidy and risky. (Or maybe I've been reading too much Follett and Higgins)

3. That having been said, there's no way for any reader to know more than the basic outline of the lives of this couple, based on newspaper stories. This unfortunate couple may have been absolutely lovely people who simply angered the wrong person at some point in their lives, even quite innocently -- and he came back with his friends to even the score. Or there may be something in their lives which caused these criminals to track them down. Or it may have been a random crime, although that's a rather odd hour of the day for a random crime. No one will know until the perps are caught.

4. Finally, as to illegal aliens -- who knows? Maybe it was; maybe it wasn't. But if I were looking for the perps, I sure wouldn't focus solely on one group, as many of the posters here seem to be doing -- it could have been anybody -- legal, illegal -- white, black, Asian, Hispanic -- anybody.

Posted by Catherine9 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by PercyKution (anonymous) on March 29, 2009 at 11:24 a.m.

I cannot believe some of the things I'm reading here. If any of you actually KNEW Mr. Bennett, you would understand that you're talking about a very stand up man that was the coach of his girls travel softball team and a very involved parent. He was my coach, my friend, and a great role model. Forget the fact that this happened in a "safe" community, forget the conspiracies about illegals or CIA involvement or whatever. You're talking about all of this when it doesn't matter, what matters is that an amazing man is dead, one that served his country in the military and continued to serve by contracting with the CIA, and his wife is in critical condition. Get off your damn soap boxes and have some damn respect!!!

Posted by vttigger10 (anonymous) on March 29, 2009 at 1:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Max12 and all the other looneys....
The CIA does not take the five minutes per person to "bludgeon" people to death.
It uses a well-honed silencer for a quick and effective termination that can ensure a rapid departure.
And do not forget to put your tin foil caps on while you sleep.

Posted by Bulletproof (anonymous) on March 30, 2009 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Do you people have no respect? A wonderful man was killed and a loving mother is badly injured. These were wonderful people. I was also one of the girls on the travel softball team that he coached and he was someone that you could look up to. They loved their family.
You are talking about nonsense when what is important is that two children just lost their father and their mother is fighting for her life.
I am also in law enforcement (not locally) but I am sure that they are working hard and doing all that they can to solve this senseless tragedy. I want the Bennett family to know that they are in my prayers and in my thoughts. Mrs. Bennett please stay strong and get better soon and Mr. Bennett God Bless you rest in peace.

Posted by fireballr24 (anonymous) on April 6, 2009 at 2:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

He was officialy the one to be held responsible for the CIA suggested NATO "accidental" bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia back in 1999 that has taken the lives of 3 news reporters and left 27 people severely injured.

He was the one blamed for the "mistake" and fired from the CIA immediately afterwards. This was the one and only target suggested by the CIA to the NATO during the entire bombing campaign. An investigation regarding the Chinesse embassy bombing did not make any headway in the news.

You will not find any mention of this in any news report regarding the investigation into the death of William Bennett.

Posted by fredric.valve (anonymous) on April 7, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)