Bridgette Suzanne "Midget" Benfield, a 17-year-old Caucasian female, tragically lost her life on July 4, 1979, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bridgette was among five individuals who were fatally shot in a house on Allen Road South in what became known as the worst mass killing in Charlotte's history. The victims, including Bridgette, were found in an Outlaw gang clubhouse, and the incident was widely believed to be gang-related.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department identified the
suspects responsible for the massacre as Gregory Scott Lindaman and Randy Allen Pigg. Both men were named as persons of interest in 1979, but due to insufficient evidence, they were never charged at the time. The case remained unsolved for decades until new testimony and evidence emerged, leading to the identification of Lindaman and Pigg as the primary suspects. However, both suspects had already passed away by the time they were officially identified; Lindaman died in a car accident in Houston, Texas, on October 15, 1990, and Pigg succumbed to liver failure on October 5, 2007.
The other victims of the shooting were William Allen, 22; William "Mouse" Droneburg, 31; Leonard "Terrible Terry" Henderson, 30; and Randall Feazell, 28. The murders were believed to be a retaliation stemming from a conflict between one of the victims and one of the suspects. The case was eventually closed with the classification of "Death of Offender" for both Lindaman and Pigg.
Bridgette's death, along with the others, prompted a significant response from law enforcement, leading to increased investigations into biker gangs and enhanced information sharing among agencies across the state. The tragic event left a lasting impact on the community and remains a somber chapter in Charlotte's history.
