Do you know who murdered Bennie Perry? Bennie Lee Perry, a 67-year-old tow truck driver, died on Saturday, March 26, 2005, after a violent confrontation in Southeast Washington, D.C. The incident, which has been ruled a homicide, took place around 10:45 a.m. in the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE.
Perry, an employee of ABC Towing, had just come out of the supermarket when he saw that the brake lights of his rig were on.
Realizing that someone was attempting to steal his truck, he rushed to the vehicle and jumped onto its running board. A brief struggle ensued between Perry and the thief who was behind the wheel. During the altercation, Perry was either pushed or fell from the moving truck and was subsequently run over by one of its rear wheels.
Despite his critical injuries, Perry was able to provide an account of the events to a police officer while being transported to Howard University Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital at approximately 3:30 p.m. that same day.
The stolen tow truck was recovered by police the following day in the unit block of 47th Street NE. Crime scene technicians were assigned to process the vehicle for any potential clues that could lead to the perpetrator. The Metropolitan Police Department has asked for the public's help in gathering more information regarding the incident and is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Perry's death. The case remains under investigation by the department's Violent Crimes Branch.
