published on in blog

Woman jailed over 1997 murder of 13-year-old to be released early

A woman who was involved in the brutal gang rape and murder of a 13-year-old Connecticut girl 22 years ago will be released from prison early. 

Maggie Mae Bennett is scheduled to be released from prison on October 10 after she was jailed for the abduction and murder of Maryann Measles in New Milford in 1997. She spent 17 years behind bars.

The now-40-year-old was among eight people convicted in the girl's brutal kidnapping, beating, rape and drowning.

Bennett, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison, is being released early due to good behavior, according to correction officials.

Maryann was last seen on October 19, 1997 when she was abducted from a supermarket parking lot by five men and three women.

The seventh grader had been waiting in the car for her mother at the time.

Maryann Measles Maggie Mae Bennett

Maggie Mae Bennett (right) is scheduled to be released from prison on October 10 after she was jailed for the abduction and murder of Maryann Measles (left) in New Milford in 1997

The three women who participated in the murder were said to be angry that the teenager had sex with their boyfriends.

At the time, Maryann had been preparing to make statutory rape allegations against two of the men in the group, aged 19 and 21.

One of those men was Bennett's boyfriend, Alan Walter.

Authorities said the group came up with the plan to silence Maryann.

The gang took Maryann to a secluded lakeside house where she was beaten and gang-raped before her head was forced underwater until she drowned.

Bennett's boyfriend Walter then had sex with the teen's corpse before they wrapped her in blanket, tied it with a chain and padlock and then pushed her into the lake.

A wide scale search was launched for the missing 13-year-old before her body was found nine months later by a diver.

It took another four years for all eight suspects to be arrested.

At the time, Maryann had been preparing to make statutory rape allegations against two of the men in the group, aged 19 and 21. One of those men was Bennett's boyfriend, Alan Walter. He was also convicted in Maryann's murder

At the time, Maryann had been preparing to make statutory rape allegations against two of the men in the group, aged 19 and 21. One of those men was Bennett's boyfriend, Alan Walter. He was also convicted in Maryann's murder

Maryann's family are outraged by the decision to let Bennett walk free early. Pictured above is her sister Victoria and mother Cindi at the one of the sentencing hearings back in 2006

Maryann's family are outraged by the decision to let Bennett walk free early. Pictured above is her sister Victoria and mother Cindi at the one of the sentencing hearings back in 2006

Among them were Bennett, her boyfriend, Dorothy Hallas, Keith Foster, Ronald Rajcok, Deaneric Dupas, Jeffrey Boyette and June Bates Seger.

Bennett was sentenced to 19 years in prison for her role in Maryann's murder after she agreed to testify against the others.

She testified that at least three of the boys took turns raping Maryann before dragging her to the water to drown her.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

Bennett also testified that the boys started laughing when Maryann's lifeless body started floating.

She claimed she didn't know the group had planned to kill the teenager and thought they were just trying to intimidate her.

Bennett, who received the lightest sentence due to her plea deal, is the first of the gang to be released from prison.

Maryann (above) was last seen on October 19, 1997 when she was abducted from a supermarket parking lot by five men and three women

Maryann (above) was last seen on October 19, 1997 when she was abducted from a supermarket parking lot by five men and three women

The others all pleaded guilty but Foster was the only one who went to trial where he was sentenced to 100 years in prison.

Maryann's family are outraged by the decision to let Bennett walk free early.

Her sister Jennifer Johnson, who was 10 when the murder occurred, told the Daily Beast the decision was 'sickening'.

'I am having chest pain, kidney pain, depression about all of this. It's literally making me physically sick to know she will be out soon,' she said.

Johnson said that in the years before the gang were all arrested, they pretended like nothing happened and even consoled the grieving family.

'My mother saw Maggie one time at Burger King,' Johnson said. 'She apologized for my mother's loss and said that if she ever needed someone to watch me and my sisters, she was available. Can you imagine?'

Bennett had a previous request for early release denied in December last year after the victim's mother and sisters objected. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKEdYWTcGluZ4ekuqK6jKOYoqSVmXpyhZhwZKatopmys3mQbGSynZGnerC4w2apnqSVlsCmsIyemKukqWO1tbnL