On a tragic day in Austin, Indiana, the life of 14-year-old Jasmine Abbott was cut short. On January 21, 2011, Jasmine, her two younger siblings, and their mother were found deceased inside their home on New York Street. The discovery was made after a relative requested a welfare check, prompting an Austin police officer to force entry into the residence.
Upon entering the home, the officer found a grim scene.
Parts of the house had been burned, and the bodies of 30-year-old Amanda Bennett and her three children, Jasmine, nine-year-old Katelynn Bennett, and four-year-old Ryan Bennett, were discovered. Investigators from the Indiana State Police were called to take over the case. Autopsies later confirmed that all four individuals had died from gunshot wounds to the head. The reports also indicated that Amanda Bennett, Katelynn, and Jasmine had suffered from smoke inhalation.
The investigation that followed painted a harrowing picture of the events that transpired. Authorities concluded that the incident was a triple murder-suicide. According to the Indiana State Police, Amanda Bennett shot her three children and the family dog before setting a fire in the house and then taking her own life. The dog was found to have survived the incident.
Friends and neighbors revealed that the family had been experiencing domestic issues. Bennett and her husband, John Bennett, had recently separated, and he had moved out of the home a couple of months prior to the incident. In fact, it was John Bennett who had initially called the police to express concern for the well-being of his estranged wife and children, which led to the discovery. Police were also made aware of disturbing online posts made by Amanda Bennett, hinting at her troubled state of mind. As Amanda Bennett was identified as the sole perpetrator in the deaths of her children, the case resulted in no arrests or further legal proceedings.
