In a tragic turn of events stemming from an act of kindness, 34-year-old Angelina K. Benton, an African American woman, was killed in a violent ambush at her Snellville, Georgia, home on September 15, 2013. Having recently opened her home to Robert Bell and his wife who were facing homelessness, Benton could not have known her charity would lead to such a devastating outcome. The evening of the attack, Bell was lying in wait for Benton and her family to return from a weekend trip.
As Benton, her 12-year-old son Joseph McDonald, her 19-year-old godson Raynard Daniel, and her boyfriend Justin Cato arrived home, Bell ambushed them with a semi-automatic weapon. Joseph and Raynard were shot and killed just moments after walking through the door. Benton was shot multiple times and collapsed in a neighbor's yard, while her boyfriend, Justin Cato, was shot in the leg but survived. The motive for the brutal attack was later described by prosecutors as Bell being enraged over a 'perceived slight or threat' from Benton after an argument.
Following the horrific triple homicide, Robert Bell fled the scene. An intensive manhunt was launched, with authorities believing he might have traveled to several states, including Tennessee or Illinois. Investigators were eventually able to track him to New Orleans after he stole a pickup truck near the crime scene and was later found to have posted online ads seeking work in the city. Bell was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and Gwinnett County Sheriff's deputies on October 24, 2013, at a homeless shelter in New Orleans after a brief foot chase.
After his capture, Bell initially fought being returned to Georgia but was eventually extradited to Gwinnett County in February 2014 to face charges. He was indicted on three counts of murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault, as well as one count of aggravated battery. To avoid a potential death penalty, Robert Bell ultimately pleaded guilty. In June 2021, he was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 20 years, bringing a final, albeit somber, conclusion to the case.
