A man dies of multiple gunshot wounds In the quiet town of Manchester, Vermont, the stillness of a mid-November evening in 1983 was shattered by an act of violence that would leave a lasting scar on the community. John Benson, a 58-year-old male retiree who lived a solitary life, was discovered deceased inside his residence on November 14, 1983. The cause of his untimely death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds, a brutal end to a life that had settled into the peaceful rhythm of small-town living.
The investigation
into the homicide revealed that on the night of the incident, Mr. Benson had not been entirely alone. He had received visitors at his home, individuals who were reportedly known to him. This detail added a layer of complexity to the case, suggesting that the perpetrator was not a stranger who had forced their way in, but someone who was likely familiar to the victim. Despite this lead, the trail grew cold, and the identity of the person or persons responsible for his death remained elusive.
Decades have passed since John Benson's life was tragically cut short, yet his case remains an open and unsolved homicide, a somber entry in the records of the Vermont State Police. The passage of time has presented its own challenges, with investigators in later years facing the laborious task of sifting through dusty, undigitized case files. No arrests have ever been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified, leaving a lingering sense of unresolved justice for a man whose life was violently taken from him within the supposed sanctuary of his own home.
