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Not Trivia: Benda Died Sunday Afternoon in Farm Yard Shelterbelt

Last updated on 2013.12.14

David Montgomery posts Richard Benda's death certificate online. I note three details of interest:

  1. The date filed is November 22, 2013, a full month after Benda's body was discovered. It took Charles Mix County deputy coroner Chad Peters one month to finalize that death certificate.
  2. Peters places the time of death between 14:30 and 18:30 CDT, Sunday, October 20, at least 36 hours before Benda's brother-in-law Jim Johanneson discovered the body. A friend of Benda's reports receiving a text from Benda in the "late afternoon" of that Sunday, a text in which Benda said he was going hunting.
  3. Benda's death took place "3/4M N of intersection of 288 St. 379 Av Lake Andes." The location is a "farm shelter belt of farm yard." Check the map: Benda's death took place within shouting distance of a farm house and outbuildings, in a shelterbelt surrounded by open farm land. Online maps don't indicate updated occupancy status... but if Benda planned to commit suicide, it would make sense that he went someplace where he knew no one would be home for a while.

8 Comments

  1. Deb Geelsdottir 2013.11.30

    I zoomed in on the site on Google maps and saw a barn, house and 2-3 outbuildings. The driveways don't look like they see much use, which leads me to conclude that no one lives there. It's common with empty farm sites that the buildings are still used for crop storage, animal shelter and other similar uses.

    I like to photograph empty farm sites and think about the families who have lived there, the growing up, the hopes and plans. So I've gotten pretty good at deciding from the road if someone still lives there. Pretty ratty looking places can still be home. But the wear on the driveway is a dead giveaway every time.

  2. WR Old Guy 2013.11.30

    I agree Deb. I came to the same conclusion. The majority of the traffic appears to have been in the driveway to the large building (barn/shop?).

    The time it took to issue the death certificate is not unusual in this type of case. A coroner has to wait on results of an autopsy including the pathology reports along with the reports from the investigators. They have to work on the basis of eliminating possibilities until there is a final determination or a definite cause cannot be determined. South Dakota has very few requirements for a coroner to be certified. If I recall correctly there is no requirement for medical or investigative training. They have to rely on the evidence presented and the conclusions from the investigators and pathologists.

  3. Roger Cornelius 2013.11.30

    Aside from what Cory pointed out, there doesn't seem to be any real surprises in the death certificate.

    The pathological report would be more revealing as to the exact location of the shot gun wound, toxicology levels, etc.

    Depending on the location of the wound, it would be significant to know whether Benda was left handed or right handed.

  4. Roger Cornelius 2013.12.02

    Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
    There are many suicides where there is no note left. Suicide is perplexing.

    I don't see this as a conspiracy theory at all, I see at as a quest for unanswered questions. Jackley's report was seriously void of facts.

    Benda may well have committed suicide, but the appearance of a government cover up and not providing adequate forensic information leaves many to doubt the report.

    All Jackley needs to do, or should have done, is hold an open news conference and provide documentation and answer questions. He seems to have cloaked himself in secrecy, secrecy feeds conspiracy theories.

    Why just two reporters to review the investigation, why not all journalists?

  5. WR Old Guy 2013.12.02

    I am thinking the redacted report that the reporters will see will create more questions. The feds reportedly looked into the case. I wonder if Mr Benda's records including computer hard drives and logs were examined along with telephone logs. Who has custody of them? Did the feds already have them as part of their investigation?

    There are alot of possibilities but until the feds complete their investigations and the state releases a complete copy of their investigation, answers will be few.

  6. Roger Cornelius 2013.12.02

    My last comments on this thread were in response to Troy Jones on the Kephart: GOED/EB5 Scandal.

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