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Benjamin Frank Atkins

Case from Charleston, SC dated Oct 27, 1985

Victim Details

Benjamin Frank Atkins

Male

Charleston

SC

1985-10-27

75

Benjamin

Frank Atkins

06/23/2026

Case Description

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In the quiet, pre-dawn hours of a Sunday morning in North Charleston, South Carolina, a violent chain of events unfolded that would leave two people dead. On October 27, 1985, 75-year-old Benjamin Frank Atkins was killed in his home. His adoptive son, Joseph Ernest Atkins, would later be charged and convicted for his murder.

The incident began to unfold just before daybreak when a neighbor was awakened by a noise outside. The neighbor saw Joseph Atkins carrying a machete and a sawed-off s ...
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Links to Additional Sources (7)

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  • https://murderpedia.org/male.A/images/a/atkins_joseph_ernest/clemency.pdf
  • Newspapers.com: Death Penalty Upheld (Benjamin Frank Atkins and Karen Patterson 1985) 1990 - Newspapers.com
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    Forum Posts (2)

    It's always haunting to revisit cases like Benjamin Frank Atkins'. One thing that stands out to me i... ...Read More
    11/04/2024
    I've been delving into the case of Benjamin Frank Atkins and his tragic death, and one detail that's... ...Read More
    07/24/2024
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