In the pre-dawn hours of October 14, 2006, a horrific scene unfolded in the quiet community of Bonaparte, Iowa, forever shattering the peace of the Bentler family. Sandra Lee Mendez Bentler, a 47-year-old Caucasian female, was tragically killed in her own home. The tranquility of their rural residence was broken by a frantic 911 call from Sandra's 14-year-old daughter, Shayne.
On the line, the dispatcher could hear the terror in the young girl's voice as she uttered that her brother, Shawn, was "going to do something." In the background, her mother's desperate pleas of "Please don't! Please Shawn don't!" could be heard, followed by a popping sound and Shayne's final scream of "Shawn, no!" before the line went dead.
When law enforcement arrived at the Bentler home at 3:55 a.m., they discovered a scene of unimaginable carnage. Sandra's body was found at the top of the stairs. She, along with her husband, Michael J. Bentler, 53, and their three daughters, Sheena Lee, 17, Shelby Marie, 15, and Shayné Lauree, 14, had all been shot and killed with a. 22 caliber rifle. Shayne was found in a closet with the telephone receiver near her, the imprint of it left on her face. Shelby was also discovered in a closet with a cell phone nearby. Sheena was found on her bed in a lower level of the house.
The prime suspect was immediately identified as the couple's 22-year-old son, Shawn Michael Bentler. Later that day, he was located and arrested in Quincy, Illinois, about 60 miles from the family's home, initially on an unrelated charge. Iowa law enforcement traveled to Quincy to interview Shawn, who was then charged with five counts of first-degree murder. During the investigation, crucial evidence came to light that tied him to the murders. A pair of socks he was wearing at the time of his arrest contained a small amount of his mother's blood. His cell phone was also found at the crime scene.
Prosecutors argued that the motive behind the gruesome killings was financial, believing Shawn intended to inherit his family's considerable estate. During his trial, Shawn Bentler waived his right to a jury, and the case was decided by a judge. He was found guilty on all five counts of first-degree murder. Subsequently, he was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The judge specified that the sentence for the murder of his mother, Sandra, would be served consecutively due to the merciless nature of her death, as evidenced by the chilling 911 call that captured her final moments.
