More Details as Bentler Murder Trial Continues

By Dave Franzman, Reporter

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: May 8, 2007 at 1:54 PM CST

Story Updated: May 9, 2007 at 5:54 AM CST

KEOSAUQUA - Shawn Bentler's own words to investigators were replayed in a southeast Iowa courtroom Tuesday morning.

The 23-year-old Quincy, Ill., man faces 5 murder counts in the shooting deaths of his entire family.

Just hours after authorities found the bodies of Bentler's mother, father and three sisters in Bonaparte, he was picked up at his Quincy, Ill., home on an Illinois warrant.

He was held in Illinois to give Iowa authorities a chance to question him about the five murders.

In court Monday, a recording of a 911 call contained the words, "Shawn don't" and then the sound of gunfire.

When Iowa investigators questioned Bentler about what happened he claimed he had not been to his Iowa home for about 2 to 3 weeks.

But he also said his mother had visited him in Illinois late Friday night just hours before she was found dead early Saturday at their Bonaparte home.

He said that's why his cell phone was found in his family's home, he said he must have left it in his mother's car.

About halfway through the interview the mood changed drastically as investigators accused him of doing terrible things.

But Shawn Bentler repeatedly insisted that he wasn't there and asked again and again if his family was OK.

Investigators accuse him of faking emotion and crying, but Bentler said “I don't know, I wasn't there, I wasn't faking crying.” The yelling goes on for a number of minutes, but Bentler never admits he shot his family.

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