The News-Journal, September 22, 1960
James A. Benningfield Slain In Front Of Lebanon Café By Another Local Man
James A. Benningfield, 33, of Campbellsville, was shot to death around 11:45 p.m. Saturday night outside the Water Street Café in Lebanon and Homer Kearney, 43, also of Campbellsville, was charged with murder. State Police Detective Billy Lloyd, who investigated the shooting, said that witnesses said that Charles W. Childers, a soldier, and Kenneth Harris of Campbellsville, got into an argument in the café and were ordered outside by the management and continued their fight on the sidewalk in front of the beer emporium. Benningfield, who was with Childers, started to go outside. The detective said that Kearney told him that a man going outside hit him, so he pulled his gun out and fired, stating at the time he didn't know it was Benningfield he had shot. He further added that he and the slain man were the best of friends. Three slugs from a .25 automatic pistol went through Benningfield's heart. Examining trial for Kearney was held Monday morning in Marion Quarterly Court before County Judge Joe Jarboe, who held him over to the September Marion County Grand Jury under $10,000 bond. He remained in the Marion County jail pending making bond. Kearney fled from the scene of the shooting with several companions and got in his car and headed southwest in the direction of Campbellsville but turned off on Ky. 208 and was finally apprehended after a chase by Lebanon city police and state troopers, near the Taylor-Marion line above Phillipsburg. Funeral services for James A. Benningfield were held Monday afternoon at the Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home here by Rev. T. H. Harding and burial was in the National Cemetery at Lebanon. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mary Goodin Benningfield; two daughters, Carolyn and Elizabeth Ann Benningfield; four sons, Larry, Bobby, Roger and Terry Benningfield, all at home; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Benningfield of Taylor County; three sisters, Mrs. Henry Mattingly and Miss Margaret Benningfield, Lebanon; and Mrs. Donald Smothers, Louisville; four brothers, Robert and Gowdy Benningfield, both of Gravel Switch, Emmett Benningfield, Lexington, and Earl Benningfield, Lebanon; two half-sisters, Mrs. Sylvia Hunt of Venice, Calif., and Mrs. Gladys Hunt, Finley, RR 1; and his grandfather, James Wheeler of Gravel Switch, Marion County. He was a native of Taylor County having been born here on Dec. 2, 1926. He was a member of the Muldraugh's Hill Baptist Church. Pallbearers were Lee, Tom, Henry, Wesley, Joe and Foster Wheeler.
Kentucky Vital Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
02 Dec 1926; TAYLOR Co
Mother WHEELER RHODA
Volume 128, Certificate 63902
Kentucky Death Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
age 33
death place MARION
residence TAYLOR
death date 17 Sept 1960
Volume 041, Certificate 20473
James A. Benningfield Slain In Front Of Lebanon Café By Another Local Man
James A. Benningfield, 33, of Campbellsville, was shot to death around 11:45 p.m. Saturday night outside the Water Street Café in Lebanon and Homer Kearney, 43, also of Campbellsville, was charged with murder. State Police Detective Billy Lloyd, who investigated the shooting, said that witnesses said that Charles W. Childers, a soldier, and Kenneth Harris of Campbellsville, got into an argument in the café and were ordered outside by the management and continued their fight on the sidewalk in front of the beer emporium. Benningfield, who was with Childers, started to go outside. The detective said that Kearney told him that a man going outside hit him, so he pulled his gun out and fired, stating at the time he didn't know it was Benningfield he had shot. He further added that he and the slain man were the best of friends. Three slugs from a .25 automatic pistol went through Benningfield's heart. Examining trial for Kearney was held Monday morning in Marion Quarterly Court before County Judge Joe Jarboe, who held him over to the September Marion County Grand Jury under $10,000 bond. He remained in the Marion County jail pending making bond. Kearney fled from the scene of the shooting with several companions and got in his car and headed southwest in the direction of Campbellsville but turned off on Ky. 208 and was finally apprehended after a chase by Lebanon city police and state troopers, near the Taylor-Marion line above Phillipsburg. Funeral services for James A. Benningfield were held Monday afternoon at the Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home here by Rev. T. H. Harding and burial was in the National Cemetery at Lebanon. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mary Goodin Benningfield; two daughters, Carolyn and Elizabeth Ann Benningfield; four sons, Larry, Bobby, Roger and Terry Benningfield, all at home; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Benningfield of Taylor County; three sisters, Mrs. Henry Mattingly and Miss Margaret Benningfield, Lebanon; and Mrs. Donald Smothers, Louisville; four brothers, Robert and Gowdy Benningfield, both of Gravel Switch, Emmett Benningfield, Lexington, and Earl Benningfield, Lebanon; two half-sisters, Mrs. Sylvia Hunt of Venice, Calif., and Mrs. Gladys Hunt, Finley, RR 1; and his grandfather, James Wheeler of Gravel Switch, Marion County. He was a native of Taylor County having been born here on Dec. 2, 1926. He was a member of the Muldraugh's Hill Baptist Church. Pallbearers were Lee, Tom, Henry, Wesley, Joe and Foster Wheeler.
Kentucky Vital Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
02 Dec 1926; TAYLOR Co
Mother WHEELER RHODA
Volume 128, Certificate 63902
Kentucky Death Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
age 33
death place MARION
residence TAYLOR
death date 17 Sept 1960
Volume 041, Certificate 20473
The News-Journal, September 22, 1960
James A. Benningfield Slain In Front Of Lebanon Café By Another Local Man
James A. Benningfield, 33, of Campbellsville, was shot to death around 11:45 p.m. Saturday night outside the Water Street Café in Lebanon and Homer Kearney, 43, also of Campbellsville, was charged with murder. State Police Detective Billy Lloyd, who investigated the shooting, said that witnesses said that Charles W. Childers, a soldier, and Kenneth Harris of Campbellsville, got into an argument in the café and were ordered outside by the management and continued their fight on the sidewalk in front of the beer emporium. Benningfield, who was with Childers, started to go outside. The detective said that Kearney told him that a man going outside hit him, so he pulled his gun out and fired, stating at the time he didn't know it was Benningfield he had shot. He further added that he and the slain man were the best of friends. Three slugs from a .25 automatic pistol went through Benningfield's heart. Examining trial for Kearney was held Monday morning in Marion Quarterly Court before County Judge Joe Jarboe, who held him over to the September Marion County Grand Jury under $10,000 bond. He remained in the Marion County jail pending making bond. Kearney fled from the scene of the shooting with several companions and got in his car and headed southwest in the direction of Campbellsville but turned off on Ky. 208 and was finally apprehended after a chase by Lebanon city police and state troopers, near the Taylor-Marion line above Phillipsburg. Funeral services for James A. Benningfield were held Monday afternoon at the Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home here by Rev. T. H. Harding and burial was in the National Cemetery at Lebanon. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mary Goodin Benningfield; two daughters, Carolyn and Elizabeth Ann Benningfield; four sons, Larry, Bobby, Roger and Terry Benningfield, all at home; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Benningfield of Taylor County; three sisters, Mrs. Henry Mattingly and Miss Margaret Benningfield, Lebanon; and Mrs. Donald Smothers, Louisville; four brothers, Robert and Gowdy Benningfield, both of Gravel Switch, Emmett Benningfield, Lexington, and Earl Benningfield, Lebanon; two half-sisters, Mrs. Sylvia Hunt of Venice, Calif., and Mrs. Gladys Hunt, Finley, RR 1; and his grandfather, James Wheeler of Gravel Switch, Marion County. He was a native of Taylor County having been born here on Dec. 2, 1926. He was a member of the Muldraugh's Hill Baptist Church. Pallbearers were Lee, Tom, Henry, Wesley, Joe and Foster Wheeler.
Kentucky Vital Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
02 Dec 1926; TAYLOR Co
Mother WHEELER RHODA
Volume 128, Certificate 63902
Kentucky Death Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
age 33
death place MARION
residence TAYLOR
death date 17 Sept 1960
Volume 041, Certificate 20473
James A. Benningfield Slain In Front Of Lebanon Café By Another Local Man
James A. Benningfield, 33, of Campbellsville, was shot to death around 11:45 p.m. Saturday night outside the Water Street Café in Lebanon and Homer Kearney, 43, also of Campbellsville, was charged with murder. State Police Detective Billy Lloyd, who investigated the shooting, said that witnesses said that Charles W. Childers, a soldier, and Kenneth Harris of Campbellsville, got into an argument in the café and were ordered outside by the management and continued their fight on the sidewalk in front of the beer emporium. Benningfield, who was with Childers, started to go outside. The detective said that Kearney told him that a man going outside hit him, so he pulled his gun out and fired, stating at the time he didn't know it was Benningfield he had shot. He further added that he and the slain man were the best of friends. Three slugs from a .25 automatic pistol went through Benningfield's heart. Examining trial for Kearney was held Monday morning in Marion Quarterly Court before County Judge Joe Jarboe, who held him over to the September Marion County Grand Jury under $10,000 bond. He remained in the Marion County jail pending making bond. Kearney fled from the scene of the shooting with several companions and got in his car and headed southwest in the direction of Campbellsville but turned off on Ky. 208 and was finally apprehended after a chase by Lebanon city police and state troopers, near the Taylor-Marion line above Phillipsburg. Funeral services for James A. Benningfield were held Monday afternoon at the Parrott & Ramsey Funeral Home here by Rev. T. H. Harding and burial was in the National Cemetery at Lebanon. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mary Goodin Benningfield; two daughters, Carolyn and Elizabeth Ann Benningfield; four sons, Larry, Bobby, Roger and Terry Benningfield, all at home; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Benningfield of Taylor County; three sisters, Mrs. Henry Mattingly and Miss Margaret Benningfield, Lebanon; and Mrs. Donald Smothers, Louisville; four brothers, Robert and Gowdy Benningfield, both of Gravel Switch, Emmett Benningfield, Lexington, and Earl Benningfield, Lebanon; two half-sisters, Mrs. Sylvia Hunt of Venice, Calif., and Mrs. Gladys Hunt, Finley, RR 1; and his grandfather, James Wheeler of Gravel Switch, Marion County. He was a native of Taylor County having been born here on Dec. 2, 1926. He was a member of the Muldraugh's Hill Baptist Church. Pallbearers were Lee, Tom, Henry, Wesley, Joe and Foster Wheeler.
Kentucky Vital Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
02 Dec 1926; TAYLOR Co
Mother WHEELER RHODA
Volume 128, Certificate 63902
Kentucky Death Records Index
BENNINGFIELD, JAMES A
age 33
death place MARION
residence TAYLOR
death date 17 Sept 1960
Volume 041, Certificate 20473
Inscription
PVT US ARMY
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
