Trent Christopher Benson born October 7, [ 1 ] is a South Korean -born American murderer, serial rapist and suspected serial killer who was linked via DNA evidence to at least four rapes in Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona from to , two of which resulted in death.
Benson was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death for these crimes in , and is awaiting execution on death row. Trent Christopher Benson was born on October 7, , in South Korea , but was abandoned by his birth parents and left to wander the streets before being taken in by an orphanage at age 3.
There, he was adopted by David and Elizabeth Benson, an American couple from Fosston, Minnesota who already had several other adopted children. According to relatives and friends, the Bensons were described as a loving and caring couple who took good care of all their children.
Benson attended the local Fosston High School, where he was noted for his skills in track and field , singing in the school choir, and eventually becoming captain of the swimming team. After graduating, Benson went to study at Minnesota State University Moorhead from the fall of to the spring of , and during this period, his only notable infraction was an arrest for shoplifting from a Macy's store in Fargo, North Dakota , but it is unknown if he served time for this offense.
After graduating from university, Benson found work as a salesman at a used car dealership, initially working in Minnesota before moving to Mesa, Arizona in Their marriage lasted for several years before they eventually divorced, with Benson citing Tohonnie's supposed alcoholism as the main factor for this decision. He quickly gained respect amongst his neighbors, who considered him a pillar of the community who helped out his neighbors and frequently attended meetings of the homeowner's association.
