Bennett's Uncle May Face Death Penalty

Prosecutors File Kidnapping Charges Against Michael Jacques As A Vermont Town Mourns Brooke Bennett's Death

(AP)  Prosecutors say the Vermont man charged with kidnapping his 12-year-old niece - who was found dead near his home - could face the death penalty.

State and federal prosecutors spoke in Burlington Thursday as 42-year-old Michael Jacques was formally charged with kidnapping Brooke Bennett. Bennett was missing for a week before her body was found Wednesday in Randolph.

Authorities cannot even say yet how the girl died. But the federal charges against Jacques provide for the death penalty in kidnappings resulting in a child's death.

In court papers, authorities accused Jacques of carefully orchestrating events and e-mails to make it look like Bennett had gone to see someone she had met online.

Instead of gathering at a vigil to offer prayers for the safe return of Bennett, residents found themselves mourning the news that her body had been found.

Police unearthed her body Wednesday from a makeshift grave about a mile from her uncle's house, ending a weeklong search for the subject of Vermont's first Amber Alert.

"Brooke Marie, I love you so much," her mother, Cassandra Gagnon, said at the gathering later in the picturesque town of a little more than 5,000. "I just ask that justice be done for the person who took my baby away," she said, sobbing.

The girl's father, James Bennett, added, "I know Brooke knows that we love her and will always love her."

As state police announced the grim news Wednesday evening, they said Michael Jacques, the girl's 42-year-old uncle and a convicted sex offender, will face federal kidnapping charges.

Bennett, who had just finished seventh grade at Randolph Union High School, disappeared on June 25 after being seen at a convenience store with Jacques.

Jacques has been in custody since Sunday on charges of aggravated sexual assault against a different underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty. Jacques, who is married to the sister of Brooke's mother, has 1993 convictions for kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.

After searching in and around his home across town for days, police said they found Brooke's body in a spot where the earth had been disturbed.

"The painful discovery of Brooke's body today is tragic and heartbreaking," State Police Director Col. James Baker said. He called the death "clearly suspicious" but declined to give details before a planned briefing Thursday morning.

In an affidavit unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Burlington, the FBI said an unidentified 14-year-old girl told investigators she was present on June 25 when Jacques tricked Bennett into thinking she was going to a party and took her to his Randolph home to be initiated into a sex ring.

The teenager said she was led to believe Bennett "would have sex with adult males" during the initiation. The 14-year-old said she herself had been having sex with Jacques since she was 9, as part of the sex ring.

The teen, who is related to Jacques, said she and Bennett watched television for a while before Jacques told her to leave and took his niece upstairs. The witness said she left the house with her boyfriend and didn't see Bennett again.

In another blow to the family, Bennett's former stepfather, Raymond Gagnon, was formally charged Wednesday with obstructing justice in the case.

He entered no plea at the federal hearing and was denied bail pending another hearing on Monday. The 40-year-old Gagnon, who lives in Texas, was on a regular visit to Vermont when he was arrested.

According to the affidavit, Gagnon told police he accessed his former stepdaughter's MySpace page from a computer at his San Antonio home after getting login information from Jacques.

Police said they have evidence that postings to the account were altered to make it appear that the 12-year-old had discussed a secret rendezvous shortly before she disappeared.

On that day, Jacques dropped Bennett off at a convenience store, and surveillance video shows they left in separate directions. She had told family members she was going to meet a friend and visit a hospitalized relative of the friend.

At the vigil for Bennett in Randolph - a site that still featured big banners reading "Come Home, Brooke, We Love You!!" - Gary Finch, Bennett's homeroom and math teacher last year, said she was an energetic and enthusiastic learner whom he loved having in class.

"She was always volunteering, always with a smile on her face. Smart, creative. It's a tragedy. It's unbelievable. It's hard to comprehend. I didn't think anything like this would happen to such a great kid," said Finch, one of about 300 people who attended.

Finch said that when school started last fall, Bennett was nervous about transferring from her small elementary school to the high school.

"She conquered that," he said. "She didn't conquer this."

[nssherlock1]

I thought that Vermont did not have a Death Penalty?

[observer2020]

Why bother with the death penalty that will never be carried out. Plead guilty and go to prison for life. There he will get free internet, TV, meals, probably get married through the mail, further his education, and who knows what else. Sounds like the life for life. The death penalty will just cost thousands for nothing.

[extremophil]

Death penalty.....in Vermont? Yeah, right.

[cfin5]

Possible? I say it should be mandatory. Come on now libs, tell us again why we shouldn''t avenge this girl the justice she deserves.

[uscitizenvet]

Jacques has been in custody since Sunday on charges of aggravated sexual assault against a different underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty. Jacques, who is married to the sister of Brooke''s mother, has 1993 convictions for kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault. THIS GUY SHOULD "NEVER" HAVE BEEN OUT OF JAIL FOR HIS OTHER CONVICTIONS !! HE''S A "KNOWN *** OFFENDER" !!

[susieq_13]

Possible! Not madatory? Why can''t these freaks spend life in prison or get the death penalty. He committed a horrific act on this poor innocent girl. His own niece. What a sicko freak!

[ne_patriot7]

I thought that Vermont did not have a Death Penalty?

Posted by nsSherlock1 at 12:03 PM : Jul 03, 2008


Vermont doesn''t have a death penalty... but if the state allows Federal charges to proceed, and he is tried in Federal Court as opposed to state court, then Federal penalties apply, which includes the death penalty.

[bm6005]

Federal charges allow for the death penalty and that overides the state having no death penalty. If the gov''t wants to raise money, start a lottery to see who gets the right to throw the switch or pull the trigger!!! I''ll pay my own way to VT.

[gwhaia]

Don''t kill him. Cut all of it off without anesthesia and if he survives, let him rot in prison for the rest of his life. Over and over again we see that *** offenders can not be rehabilitated. We have to do something to isolate these people from society for the rest of their lives or take other surgical/chemical measures to eliminate the threat.

[heleyne-2009]

Our politicians better pull their heads out of their a---- and wake up and smell the coffee!! Put laws on the books to put these guys with the general population. They will get theirs. How many more times do we have to hear about these situations? The losers are usually repeat offenders. POLITICIANS- GET MOVING AND DO YOUR JOBS AS PUBLIC SERVANTS!

[ccdsswrkr08]

I like the idea someone had on here the other day about giving him life in prison, then putting a remote controlled pellet gun in his cell that can be controlled from a website. Allow people to pay to shoot the living bejeezus out of the guy 24/7, and all the money goes to the victims family (who did not commit the offense heh)

[mediamomma]

cut it all off w/a dull rusted machette and let the infection set in and kill him slowly. vt needs to bring back the death penalty so if it doesn''t happen to be tried federally in the state then the people of the state of vt can decide on death or life. i don''t want to be paying for this guy''s room and board for the next 40 years or so i can tell u that. as for that pellet gun idea, i like that but a taser would do just as well. depending on how much u pay is how much the voltage is that will get sent thru him.

[ccdsswrkr08]

mediamomma

See the problem with the taser is that might kill him. No we want him to live a long long pain filled life. And if he does get injured to the point where he might die, allow medical students to work on him, fix em up, putting right back in the line of fire!

[slim1h2o]

Dust off the Hanging Tree, up there in Braintree Vt.

[afather2]

I can''t understand where the mother was and why she didn''t pick up on some of this.
I lived 9 houses down from Jetsetta Gadge who was killed by a guy that was in my graduating class. I have a little girl and she doesn''t leave my sight, not for a moment, not over a chance. I know there is a difference, Brooke was 12 and my daughter is 5 but my god, doesn''t anyone have any sense these days? Know who your kid is talking to.
Know who your kid is hanging out with.
Know who they talk to online or make them the outcast because they can''t talk online until they are mature enough to understand that the world is not safe. Personally, I feel for the mother but I think her, the step father, and the uncle should all be locked in a room (handcuffed). Give the father a stick and have at it. When he feels he''s done, let whats left out.
I can''t imagine the sorrow he is feeling. My heart goes out to all the family. I hope that some of these people WAKE up and start being parents. I know it isn''t easy but *** own up to your responsibility and be a PARENT, you owe them that.

[beeeeeeeball]

How much longer before these men are mobbed and killed in the streets...this is the real war on the children of the earth by evil wicked men.These men with their 3 piece suits and higher education that take up the cause of child killers are just as guilty!America the christian Godly nation...yeah right!!!!!

[afather2]

CBS_Oliver: Spoken like a man who has never had children, changed a diaper, rocked your child to sleep when they are sick, taken their kid to the doctor, made sure the child is safe at the park, make sure the child is safe at the pool, made sure the child is safe in their bed (Polly Klaus). It sounds like you really think that you know something about parenting but maybe you should stick to what you do know...... how to downsize a person who''s soul purpose in life is to make sure their child makes it to adulthood so they can voice their oppinions. When you have a kid of your own, you might understand.

[jeceme]

Yes some of the things said on here are pretty sick I would have to agree with that. But I would also have to admit that this world is going to hell in a hand basket if you can''t trust your kids with your own family. Some people just have a sick messed up view on *** and the cycle is going to keep going and going the more and more this is not dealt with in a more effective manner.

[whiskyrocker]

knowhr and CBS_Oliver :

I just want to toture and kill child molesters and *** offenders. Why don''t you guys go find this scumbag and give him a big hug.

[bm6005]

They are really the same type of sick people who commit such crimes.
Posted by CBS_Oliver

I don''t think so!!! I just find it inexcusable that this pig be allowed to live.

[afather2]

sure, I''d give him a hug but only if I was wearing a jacket outfitted with dirty constentine wire

[deacon20081]

Bring back Frontier Justice.......nuff said

[afather2]

CBS Oliver
sorry, I appologize, I misunderstood what you were saying. Fear not, I don''t think her will live long when he gets to prison. They don''t seem to like thier pedophiles in prison much.
I hate to say this but I feel retribution is somewhat justifable in certian circumstances

[afather2]

hmmmm well all I can say to that is, I hope that any man thinking of trying that to my child would fear me too.
I am not a violent person, I have been in a fight since I was a teenager but I can say I would do anything to protect my child and I can''t imagine how I would feel, or what I would do if I lost my child because of some pervert. If that makes me a bad person, well I guess I am all for that.

[questionnews]

It is a shame that some people, who have no personal relationship with the victim, and no personal excuse to seek vengence, seek to exploit the crime and tragedy as an excuse to gratify their own depraved fantasies about carrying out violent torture and murder.

They are really the same type of sick people who commit such crimes.

Posted by CBS_Oliver at 02:42 PM : Jul 03, 2008


I looked back on all the posts & didn''t see where someone said they wanted to rape this guy? I do see where some folks want to put him through as much he!! as he put his victims through (although that is impossible), but that is just a human gut response from people that do have kids of thier own & naturally put themselves in the place of the victim or victims family & respond accordingly. Are you really saying that if it''s not your kid getting raped & killed that nobody has a right to expess how they would like to see the scored evened up a little?

[afather2]

I did not post this:

Posted by afather2 at 02:50 PM : Jul 03, 2008

I am a father of two boys and a grandfather of a little girl.

What I fear is violent people like you.

[afather2]

Hell no, I wish more people would express there outrage that this kind of thing happened. I wish that politicians would stop snailing there way through Congress and DO SOMETHING. not to degrade terrorism but we lose more American children each year to pervert than to terrorism but yet only Dateline seems to be able to find them.

[ccdsswrkr08]

Where are the religious fanatics when you need them! doesn''t it say in the bible an eye for an eye?

[whiskyrocker]

Every child molester need''s to be exterminated with extreme prejudice. PERIOD

[afather2]

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a pund of fesh for a pound of flesh but that is text book retribution not justice.
Thats why I said even retribution feels right in some situations.

[vortex1001]

Every child molester need''''s to be exterminated with extreme prejudice. PERIOD


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Posted by whiskyrocker at 03:12 PM : Jul 03, 2008"

Biggest bang for buck on that cause is to nuke the US military bases - full of paedophiles and child molesters there

[questionnews]

Every child molester need''''''''s to be exterminated with extreme prejudice. PERIOD


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Posted by whiskyrocker at 03:12 PM : Jul 03, 2008"

Biggest bang for buck on that cause is to nuke the US military bases - full of paedophiles and child molesters there

Posted by Vortex1001 at 03:17 PM : Jul 03, 2008

Since when did mental hospitals allow patients internet access? Why Vortex1001? Did Vortex1 through Vortex1000 get banned for comments such as this one?

[edgardebbins]

I''d like to see all 50 states have 2 ballot initiatives this fall. First, would you like to see any offender convicted of murder or rape executed?? Secondly, if voted affirmative on the execution option would you like to see a method of exectution that is more entertaining than lethal injection?? Most likely the red states would vote YES on manditory executions and the blue states would vote NO. I bet the states who pass manditory executions would indeed vote for a method more interesting if the options included hanging, firing squad,and my favorite, the guillotine. The problem for the blue states would be that it would attact more criminals, since they would be safer there. So eventually those voters might start pressuring their leaders to adopt the manditory executions. But they would probably stick with the wimpy lethal injections.

[ianlou]

Posted by EdgarDebbins at 03:28 PM

First thing, I don''t see murderers avoiding death penalty states so far, if they did there would be no executions.

Second thing, I don''t think there will be any Red States in the next election.

[nolalou]

EdgarDebbins, the very fact that you see the death penalty as ''entertainment'' is sick! People like you are one more reason this barbaric practice should be stopped!

[bugzaboo64]

How sad.

[edgardebbins]

Noalou:
There is nothing sick or barbaric about the death penalty. It is efficient and severely underutilized in America. When the American government hanged offenders in the 1800''s, people crowded in from miles away to watch the public spectacle. And they loved it.

[questionnews]

EdgarDebbins, the very fact that you see the as ''''entertainment'''' is sick! People like you are one more reason this barbaric practice should be stopped!

Posted by nolalou at 03:43 PM : Jul 03, 2008

So if the execution was performed Disney style, you know, next to a meadow with a flowing stream and bunnies, squirrels & birds watching & crying the whole time. And the bears & the wolves dug the grave and placed him in it while a group of chipmonk sang amazing grace.
Would the death penalty be OK with you then?

[ianlou]

Noalou:
There is nothing sick or barbaric about the death penalty. It is efficient and severely underutilized in America. When the American government hanged offenders in the 1800''''s, people crowded in from miles away to watch the public spectacle. And they loved it.
Posted by EdgarDebbins

Yeah, they loved it in Europe too.
The real question is why does America have so many who deserve the death penalty when the rest of the Western World doesn''t. Arent we the last western nation to use the death penalty?

[ajmystic]

If this man lived in the South instead of Vermont, he might not have made it to jail. In the South, "He needed killin''" is a viable defense to getting rid of vermin such as this man. In Vermont, they will probably play around with this for 10 or 20 years before anything is done. This man definitely should not be allowed to exist on this planet any longer.

[whiskyrocker]

EdgarDebbins:

Don''t listen to some of these pansies. You have some great ideas about torturing and killing these vial child molesting pieces of human excrement.

[edgardebbins]

IanLou:
I''m sure somebody can figure WHY we have so many bad apples. I''m more concerned about getting them neutralized, so that we don''t have to deal with over and over. You''re probably right about no red states on the national level this fall, but they can still be red at state level.

[dawnsiek]

Go back to the days when the person was given to the family. I''m sure they could find a "good" way of disposing of this trash.

[Syndicate]

From what I''ve heard about Vermont we should execute every one in the state.

[edgardebbins]

WhiskeyRocker:
If you do a Google on Guillotine, there is some fascinating history. Most people don''t know the French used it up til 1977. There could be some merit to the electric chair, hangings, and firing squads, but I really believe the Guillotine is way out in front for making a statement.

[superchez2]

hangem'' high

[whiskyrocker]

EdgarDebbins :

The guillotine is way to quick. Think blow torch, pliers and some salt.

[navyjimfl]

his own neice.....how can this person look at himself in the mirror?

[questionnews]

his own neice.....how can this person look at himself in the mirror?

Posted by navyjimfl at 04:47 PM : Jul 03, 2008

Most of these guys could care less if thier victim is related. They are broke & cannot be fixed. And just like a rabid dog, they cannot be cured & need to be put down.

[missingamerica]

Although this guy probably did it, ya''ll are too quick to be calling for the death penalty...

Least this is Vermont, and not Texas - Vermont probably makes a reasonable effort to ensure guilt.

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