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Bentler Estate Ruling

By Shannon Booth

Story Created: Apr 25, 2008 at 8:54 AM CDT

Story Updated: Apr 25, 2008 at 8:54 AM CDT

FORT MADISON (AP) - A judge has ruled the daughters of Shawn Bentler will receive the entire $2.8 million estate of his parents.

Bentler is serving life in prison for driving from his home in Quincy, Illinois, in October 2006 and shooting his parents and three teenage sisters in their rural Bonaparte home in southeast Iowa. He's appealing the conviction.

In an April 16th ruling, Van Buren County District Court Judge Daniel Wilson says Bentler's two daughters -- Cloe Nicole Bentler and Avaley Ann Leslie -- would each receive half of his parents' estate.

Bentler will get no money because of statutes that prohibit murderers from benefiting from their victim's death.

Some relatives of Michael and Sandra Bentler -- Shawn Bentler's
parents -- had argued for some of the estate.

In his decision, the judge cites past cases that said innocent children of a murderer must not be punished for their parent's actions. Wilson also says there's no evidence of a strained relationship between the Bentlers and their granddaughters.

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