Q&A About Court Street Homicide

 

Q. Why is there so much discussion about this death?

A. One reason is the location; not too many people have been murdered on Court Street in the last century.

Q. Exactly what time did the fight happen?

A. According to the TimesDaily, Brandon Davis struck Jeremy Benson at around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday, March 16th.

Q. Was this during a pub crawl?

A. According to one of our readers, it was not. "Shamrock the Block" was on March 22nd.

Q. How old was Benson?

A. Florence Police stated his age as 44; however, Benson's social media indicates he was turning 46 on March 25th. Davis is 25.

Q. What caused the fight?

A. An officer testified in court that it was reportedly over a woman.

Q. Was the fight at On the Rocks Bar?

A. The altercation reportedly began in the bar. Reports indicated it was unknown if any blows were exchanged inside. Davis' fatal blow to Benson occurred on the sidewalk outside the establishment. 

Q. How was the Senor Tequila eatery involved?

A. According to the restaurant manager Carlos, that establishment often assists FPD by providing CCTV of the area. Senor Tequila at 105 is located directly across from On the Rocks at 110.

Q. Was Davis inebriated?

A. According to the officer quoted in the TD, he was.

Q. What was the victim's cause of death?

A. An EMT on the scene indicated a brain bleed; however, autopsy results are not yet published. (Wasn't this EMT stating something beyond the scope of his practice?)

Q. Is Davis still in jail?

A. No. According to official records, Brandon Davis posted 100K bond and was released.

Q. If convicted of Felony Murder, what kind of sentence should Davis expect?

A. Felony Murder (comparable to Second Degree Murder in many states) carries a sentence of 10 to 99 years. Lauderdale County could offer Davis a plea of manslaughter, usually carrying a sentence of 15 years (no CIT under these circumstances).

Q. Is Davis still employed by Lauderdale County?

A. Sources say he now works in a family business, so his arrest will not affect his employment.

Q. When will Davis go to trial?

A. We'll publish that information when it's available. Judging from recent cases, a trial or plea could be many months in the future.

Q. Any takeaways from this incident?

A. If you just absolutely have to drink, please do it at home.

Update: Florence info on Mr. Benson's age is correct. There are two, or were two, Lauderdale gentlemen with same name. The deceased was 44 and would have been 45 on May 25th. The other Mr. Jeremy Benson presumably celebrated a happy 46th birthday on March 25th.