In the spring of 1964, a young man named Vernon Llewellyn LaBenne was working towards building a future for himself in Battle Creek, Michigan. At 20 years old, he was serving as an airman at the Custer Air Force Station. To supplement his income, he took on a part-time job at a Mobil gas station located on West Columbia Avenue near Interstate 94. The extra money was intended to help finance his night courses at Kellogg Community College and to save for his upcoming marriage.
On the evening of April 6, 1964, LaBenne's life was cut tragically short when he was shot to death at the gas station. For a time, the case remained unsolved, leaving a shadow over the community and a painful void for his loved ones. He was laid to rest in Roseland Park Cemetery in Berkley, Michigan. The initial public records and news reports offered few details about the circumstances surrounding his death, leading to a period of uncertainty.
The truth behind Vernon LaBenne's murder would eventually come to light as part of a much larger and more sinister story involving two brothers, Larry and Danny Ranes, who were later identified as serial killers. It was determined that Larry Ranes was responsible for the death of Vernon LaBenne. Larry Ranes's violent spree in 1964 also included the murders of Gary Albert Smock and Charles E. Snider. The brothers were not partners in their crimes but rather engaged in a horrifying and deadly rivalry.
Ultimately, Larry Lee Ranes pleaded guilty to his crimes and was sentenced to life in prison, where he later changed his name to Monk Steppenwolf. His brother, Danny Arthur Ranes, was also convicted for his separate string of murders and died in prison in January 2022. The resolution of the case brought a grim understanding of the senseless violence that had taken the life of a young man on the cusp of his future.
