SENECA — Shooting victim was at crossroads

By ANDREW MOORE

andrew@dailyjm.com

SENECA — Karla Benson was at a crossroads in her life. She had taken her two young sons, Tyler and Logan, to stay with her father in Galesburg, Ill. for the summer and had quit her job cleaning for Oconee Medical Center.

“She’d talked about maybe going back up to Illinois, where she’s from,” one neighbor said Tuesday.

Linda Crouse, who lives down the street from Benson’s residence on Palmetto Avenue in Newry, said she too had heard that the 29-year-old was considering a trip back to her home state. Crouse’s son, Brian, had been engaged to Benson before the two broke off their relationship.

Further complicating things was the fact that Benson was six months pregnant.

On Saturday afternoon, Dr. Marion McMillan dropped by his practice at Upstate Pain Management and Surgery Center and stumbled upon a scene that would send Benson, who was just three months shy of turning 30, back to her native Illinois in a way no one could have imagined.

Benson, who worked miscellaneous jobs from cooking at bar and grills to cleaning for hospitals — who was known for her friendly demeanor and her hobby of collecting panda bear-related items — had been shot in the back of the head.

The man suspected of being responsible, 52-year-old James Baskerville, is believed to have followed up Benson’s shooting by placing a pistol just below his jaw and pulling the trigger.

Two guns were found at the scene, making a murder-suicide attempt a more problematic theory than first surmised, but Police Chief John Covington said the investigation still strongly indicates that was the series of events.

“I think only one gun was fired, but that is a gut feeling. We’re all waiting on forensics to confirm that,” Covington said.

A neighbor speaking anonymously echoed Covington’s instinct.

“They say they found two guns at the scene,” he said. “If they did, I don’t think she (Benson) brought either one of them. I really don’t.”

Forensic analysis by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is expected to answer many uncertainties about the curious crime. Those reports will determine if one or both of the guns were fired, while gunshot residue analysis will determine if only one of the subjects at the scene fired a weapon.

Those answers won’t come anytime soon.

“It could take weeks or even months,” Covington said, attributing the long waiting period for results to the high demand for SLED’s services.

That timeline, while certainly not as brisk as Seneca investigators would hope for, is not necessarily damaging to their case, Covington explained. Baskerville, who survived the incident, is still in critical condition at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

“We’re looking at quite an extensive recovery period for this man, if he does in fact recover,” Covington said.

Hunter Kome of Oconee Medical Center said Baskerville, who was responsible for cleaning Lila Doyle and other hospital properties, has not been terminated.

“He’s still currently employed,” Kome said. “We’re waiting to see what action law enforcement is going to take.”

Baskerville has yet to be charged with Benson’s murder, and in all likelihood won’t be until he recovers, if and when that time comes. While some media outlets have mistakenly reported that charges were already filed, Covington said such a move would make little sense.

Charging Baskerville now would place him in the Seneca Police Department’s custody and protection, making the city responsible for medical bills. Beyond that, the suspect’s incapacitated state means there is no need to make the formal charge before investigations are completed.

The exact nature of Baskerville and Benson’s relationship beyond a professional one is still being investigated, Covington said. Crouse said she believed they had been romantically involved at one time.

“We’re still interviewing their coworkers to pin that aspect of it down,” Covington said.

Crouse said her son was the father of the 24-week-old male fetus Benson was carrying at the time of her death. That, however, along with many other questions, will only be answered by forensic analysis. A DNA test is expected.

Benson will be buried June 27 at Williamsfield Cemetery in Illinois.