Noel Christopher Benson, a 50-year-old White male from Grand Bay, Alabama, was killed on April 9, 2019, in Moss Point, Mississippi. The incident that led to his death took place at a residence on Independence Road, the home of Dirk Lambert Jr. Benson was reportedly shot around 6 p.m. that evening. His family remembers him as a generous and loving man who was an avid fisherman and hunter. His daughter described him as someone who would give the shirt off his back to help others, a sentiment echoed by his sister who saw him as a protective figure in her life.
Several hours after the shooting, Benson's body was discovered inside his own vehicle, which had been left in a wooded area not far from the scene of the crime. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department quickly identified Dirk Lambert Jr. as the primary suspect in the case. He was promptly arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of Noel Christopher Benson. At the time of his arrest, Lambert was held without bond as the investigation into the motive for the shooting continued. The authorities did not immediately release a clear reason for the tragic event, leaving both the community and Benson's grieving family searching for answers.
Following his arrest, Dirk Hilton Lambert Jr. appeared in court and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder. Dressed in a jail jumpsuit, he conferred with his court-appointed attorney before the judge. The case was then scheduled to go to trial in February 2020. Lambert remained in custody at the Jackson County jail without bond while awaiting his trial. The family of Noel Christopher Benson expressed their profound loss and their hope that justice would be served for the man they described as a special and caring individual. The outcome of the trial and any subsequent legal proceedings against Dirk Lambert Jr. have not been detailed in publicly available online sources.
