RSS12 Year Old Vermont Girl Brooke Bennett’s Death Ruled A Homicide … Michael Jacques & Ray Gagnon Ordered Held for Trial
Brooke Bennett had been missing since June 25, 2008 when her body was found a few miles away from where her uncle, Michael Jacques, a previously convicted and registered sex offender lived. The uncle, Michael Jacques, has been in custody on charges of aggravated sexual assault against a different under age girl.
Michael Jacques, who is accused of abducting his niece, Brooke Bennett, was ordered held until his trial on a federal kidnapping charge. His attorney, Michael Desautels, did not ask U.S. Magistrate-Judge Jerome Niedermeier to release Jacques.
Preliminary reports from Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan has stated that 12 year old Brooke Bennett’s death has been ruled a homicide. The exact cause of the homicide will be determined upon final autopsy results.
Nolan said Brooke’s death was a homicide, but he didn’t say how she was killed. No one has been charged with her death. State police say it could take eight weeks before autopsy results are available.
Jacques could face the death penalty if convicted under federal law of kidnapping resulting in Brooke’s death.
Prosecutors say Jacques, 42, abducted Brooke on June 25. After a weeklong search, she was found buried about a mile from his home in Randolph, about 50 miles southeast of Burlington.
UPDATE I: New Charges against Brooke Bennet’s Stepfather Ray Gagnon
More information in the disappearance and death of a Randolph pre-teen. New charges against Brooke Bennett’s former step-father — Ray Gagnon — released Monday, in his former home-state of Alabama — for child porn. And uncle Michael Jacques was officially arraigned on federal kidnapping charges.
The Dana Pretzer Show – Sunday, July 6, 2008 – Guests Include Andrea Campbell, Donna Weaver, Katherine Scardino, Susan Murphy Milano and Wendy Murphy
Dana’s guests tonight include:
- Forensics Specialist and Author Andrea Campbell, Criminal Defense Attorney Katherine Scardino, author and victim’s advocate Susan Murphy Milano and Investigative Specialist Donna Weaver. On tap for discussion: Brooke Bennett, Becca McEvoy, Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, and Zodiac . . . is there a Part 2? . . .
- Wendy Murphy, former District Attorney, Law Professor, Sex Crimes expert and author of the book And Justice For Some: An Expose of the Lawyers and Judges Who let Dangerous Criminals Go Free discussing Vermont sex offender laws and the death of Brooke Bennett.
JUSTICE SERVED … Texas Man James Kevin Pope Sentenced to 4,060 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault of Three Teen Girls
Its about time a child sex offender gets what’s rightfully coming to them.
Don’t mess with Texas, especially when it comes to sentencing for child rapists. 43 year old James Kevin Pope was found guilty of sexual assaulting minors a jury sentenced him to 4060 years … 40 life prison terms, one for each sex assault conviction and 20 years for each of the three sexual performance of a child convictions.
This child sex offender will be eligible for parole in 3209. If we can’t have the death penalty, then locking the perv up and throwing away the key is the next best option. James Kevin Pope was sentenced to almost 1.5 million days in prison.
James Kevin Pope: 4060 years should keep this child molester busy
At the request of prosecutors, state District Judge Graham Quisenberry ordered Pope to serve the sentences consecutively, adding up to 4,060 years. He will be eligible for parole in the year 3209, according to the Parker County District Attorney’s Office.
“We believe it was a just result,” prosecutor Robert DuBoise said, adding that he was “overwhelmed” with the judge’s decision to stack the sentences.
Pope, 43, abused the girls for nearly two years. It came to authorities’ attention earlier this year after Pope made several inappropriate comments to a friend, who notified Child Protective Services.
During the trial, the teens testified about the abuse, and their sexually explicit photographs were shown as evidence.
Its about time that a state got tough on child abusers, unlike Vermont. There is a reason why child rapists run to Vermont and out of Texas. Some states are just havens for pedeophiles.
UPDATE I: More Justice in Another Child Rape and Murder Case … Mark Dean Schwab Executed in Florida
Chalk another one up for the good guys as child kidnapper, raper and killer Mark Dean Schwab will not be performing those acts ever again … NEVER!!! Honestly, do any of us care that a person who kidnaps, rapes and murders an 11 year old boy is caused pain during their execution? Hell, most of us would hope it does. Given a choice … a public stoning would have been appropriate for Mark Dean Schwab.
Mark Dean Schwab experiences Florida’s treatment of sex offenders
Mark Dean Schwab, who was convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing an 11-year-old boy, died at 6:15 p.m.
It took 34 minutes for Diaz to die, more than twice the normal time. Schwab’s execution started at 6:03 p.m. and lasted 12 minutes.
Schwab, 39, unsuccessfully challenged Florida’s new procedure, claiming it could also cause pain and suffering. His latest appeal was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court hours before he was put to death for the 1991 killing Junny Rios-Martinez of Cocoa, a small town on the central-east coast of Florida.
The State of Vermont is Responsible for the Death of Brook Bennett … Lax Laws on Sex Offenders
The State of Vermont, its law makes, judges and the media should be all ashamed of themselves. They have all been complicit in the lack of laws against convicted sex offenders. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BROOKE’S DEATH!!!
The result of Vermont’s lack of laws, Vermont’s caring to protect children or any real understanding of child predators … Brooke Bennett is dead and never had a chance. Disturbing details emerge in the Brooke Bennett case; however, this is not the first time we have heard such heinous stories out of Vermont when it comes to child exploitation and sexual assault. In the case of Brooke Bennett, all of the above and include her murder.
As it turns out, the death and sexual abuse of Brooke was not an isolated case, but a sex ring. One created by a individual, Michael Jacques, who was a convicted sex offender and on Vermont’s Sex Registry. All the while, he was sexually assaulting girls.
This is not the first time that child rapists have been given a light or little to no sentence when it has come to the sexual assault of minors. When confronted with the lack of laws protecting children in Vermont in the past, what did the media do? They attacked those that would make the point public and protected the pedophiles.
Remember the well documented case of Vermont Judge Edward Cashman.
“You may be looking at the worst judge in the USA.” And several Vermont Republican lawmakers have demanded he resign or be impeached.
The reason: Cashman sentenced a child molester to just 60 days of jail time — a sentence he said was designed to ensure the man got prompt sex-offender treatment but critics say was too soft.
“As far as we’re concerned, Cashman’s district can hereby be considered a predator’s sanctuary,” wrote the Caledonian Record newspaper of St. Johnsbury. “As long as judges like Ed Cashman are allowed to sit on Vermont benches, children cannot be considered safe.”
Body of 12 Year Old Brooke Bennett Found Dead Near the Home of Her Uncle Michael Jacques
There is sad news tonight out of the state of Vermont. The body of 12 year old Brooke Bennett was found dead at approximately 4:45 EDT. The police called the death “clearly suspicious” but declined to give details before a planned briefing Thursday morning. The body of a missing 12 year old Brooke Bennett was found hours after documents surfaced that accused her uncle of planning to initiate her into a child sex ring.
Earlier Wednesday, in an affidavit unsealed in U.S. District Court in Burlington, the FBI said an unidentified 14-year-old girl told investigators she was present on June 25 when Jacques, 42, tricked Bennett into thinking she was going to a party and took her to his Randolph home to be initiated into a sex ring.
The girl said she was led to believe the 12-year-old “would have sex with adult males” during the initiation.
The teenager said she and Bennett watched television for a while before Jacques told her to leave and took his niece upstairs. The witness said she left the house with her boyfriend and didn’t see Bennett again.
Rest in peace Brooke, from all that we have heard with arrests and sick behavior in this family … Brooke is finally at peace and safe.
BETHEL, Vt. – The body of a missing 12-year-old whose uncle allegedly planned to force her into a sex ring the day she disappeared was found Wednesday in Randolph, not far from his house.
State Police Director Col. James Baker said Brooke Bennett’s body was found about 4:45 p.m. and her family had been notified.
The uncle, Michael Jacques, has been in custody since Sunday on charges of aggravated sexual assault against a different underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty.
Brooke Bennett’s body was found a few miles from the home of her uncle, Michael Jacques who was arrested on June 29, 2008 and charged with the sexual assault of another minor. Michael Jacques was the last person seen with Brooke Bennett on June 25 prior to her disappearance.
According to an affidavit, Michael Jacques planned to force Brooke into a sex ring.
As we have always said, once a sex offender … always a sex offender and there is no such thing as a one time rapist.
Court Papers: Uncle Brought Brooke Home for Sex
This is the same uncle that the State of Vermont had previously arrested for sexual assault on a minor and was a registered sex offender. But some how in Vermont’s infinite wisdom, he was un-supervised. When will people learn that sex offenders cannot be cured. Well, there is one cure.
New information revealed in court papers indicates her uncle did not leave her there. According to the juvenile who was with them, they took Brooke to Jacques’ Randolph home. They told her she was going to a party, but the juvenile told police she was actually being taken into a secret program called “Breckenridge,” where she’d be having sex with adult males– just as the other juvenile had been doing for the past five years, with Jacques as her “trainer.” That juvenile left the house after Jacques took Brooke upstairs — and never saw her again.
The story that Brooke may have been meeting someone she met on the online networking site MySpace– police say Jacques made that up. He showed police a posting made sometime after midnight June 25– the day she disappeared.
Missing Vermont girl found dead
UPDATE I: More than 300 people are gathered to mourn Brooke
About 300 people gathered Wednesday night to mourn the death of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett, whose body was found near her uncle’s home a week after she had disappeared.
The gathering was originally organized as a candlelight vigil for Brooke’s safe return. Authorities found her dead about 4:45 p.m.
At the gathering, people hugged each other around the town gazebo, lit candles and sang “Amazing Grace.”
“We must realize in our community, oh God, that we are not this horrible act, that this horrible act happened to this community,” said the Rev. Robin Junker, associate pastor of the Bethany United Church of Christ in Randolph. “Bennett
UPDATE II: MySpace page used in cover-up
Police say Gagnon, 40, lives in Texas but often visited Vermont. According to the affidavit, he told police he accessed Brooke’s MySpace page from a laptop computer at his home in San Antonio after getting login information from Jacques.
Police said they have evidence that postings to the account were altered to make it appear that Brooke had discussed a secret rendezvous with someone identified as “Skittlemeup” shortly before she disappeared.
Gagnon also told police he had downloaded child pornography onto the laptop, according to the affidavit.
Authorities said Gagnon was on a regular visit to Vermont from Texas when he was arrested Monday.
