I was surprised to read Eleanor's comment, so I looked it up: Tony ran a hunting lodge at a quail hunting preserve, and a used car business in Griffin. He was rumored to keep large amounts of cash on hand. Two ex-cons and the wife of one burst into the hunting lodge and handcuffed Tony, apparently intending to rob him and otherwise not hurt him. But an employee of Tony's entered the lodge and put up a fight and was shot and killed. Tony was then shot "execution style" as a witness to the killing. The police arrested the killers about 3 weeks later. The police would not say what led them to the killers, and I could not find mention of a trial.
The other person killed was Mitchell Gibson from East Point. He had a sister named Ardith. It is my understanding that the killers meant to throw the murder weapon, a handgun, into a nearby creek, but instead it landed on a sand bar and was easily found. The handgun was traced to its owner and the killers were tracked down from there.
My information is fuzzy here, but I think Tony owed the gun owner some money and that he sent the killers to collect the debt at gun point. My understanding is that they had Tony tied up and Mitchell came in unexpectedly and surprized them. Mitchell tried to run out the door and everything went downhill from there. If anyone has more or better information, help me out here.
1955 may have been the last year Tony attended CPHS. Tony had "street smarts", good athletic ability, and good artistic ability but had trouble with schoolastics. He was a Sub-Freshman (8th grader) in 1953, 1954, and 1955. I believe he transferred to North Clayton HS in 1955.
Eleanor Newton (Perdue) (1958)
Tony Benefield was murdered January 16, 2001 in Pike Co., Ga,
Thomas Marshall Miller (1958)
I was surprised to read Eleanor's comment, so I looked it up: Tony ran a hunting lodge at a quail hunting preserve, and a used car business in Griffin. He was rumored to keep large amounts of cash on hand. Two ex-cons and the wife of one burst into the hunting lodge and handcuffed Tony, apparently intending to rob him and otherwise not hurt him. But an employee of Tony's entered the lodge and put up a fight and was shot and killed. Tony was then shot "execution style" as a witness to the killing. The police arrested the killers about 3 weeks later. The police would not say what led them to the killers, and I could not find mention of a trial.
Dennis Thompson (1959)
The other person killed was Mitchell Gibson from East Point. He had a sister named Ardith. It is my understanding that the killers meant to throw the murder weapon, a handgun, into a nearby creek, but instead it landed on a sand bar and was easily found. The handgun was traced to its owner and the killers were tracked down from there.
My information is fuzzy here, but I think Tony owed the gun owner some money and that he sent the killers to collect the debt at gun point. My understanding is that they had Tony tied up and Mitchell came in unexpectedly and surprized them. Mitchell tried to run out the door and everything went downhill from there. If anyone has more or better information, help me out here.
Noel Starr Smith (1955)
Poor fellow.
Tony is pictured in the 1955 Aries Yearbook as Sub Freshman.
Don't know why he is now included with class of 55 graduates.
Dennis Thompson (1959)
1955 may have been the last year Tony attended CPHS. Tony had "street smarts", good athletic ability, and good artistic ability but had trouble with schoolastics. He was a Sub-Freshman (8th grader) in 1953, 1954, and 1955. I believe he transferred to North Clayton HS in 1955.