Dominic Davis 17, Steven Presley 17, John Lajeunesse 16, & 22 Year Old Mom Rikki Jacobsen Found Shot To Death In Car Along Rural Tennessee Road~ Jacob Allen Bennett & Brittany Lina Yvonn Moser Indicted For The Murders

By Joe Sutton and Greg Botelho, CNN
updated 7:51 AM EDT, Fri September 13, 2013
Watch this video
Four people found shot to death in car

A passer-by notices a car parked 65 miles west of Knoxville and sees four bodies inside
Victims were males and females and "relatively young," a state investigative official says
"We don't want this to be the one" case that goes unsolved, Cumberland County sheriff says

(CNN) -- A passer-by found four people shot dead Thursday in a car parked alongside a rural Tennessee road, a mystery that has left authorities scrambling to identify the victims and hunt for whomever is responsible.
The vehicle was spotted around 7 a.m. on Renegade Mountain, an area about 65 miles west of Knoxville. The bystander quickly called the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm said.
"They knew that nobody lives on that street, and (the car) just looked odd sitting there," Sheriff Butch Burgess told CNN affiliate WATE.
The victims were males and female, all of whom were "relatively young," according to Helm.
"We are continuing to identify the victims as it is still an active crime scene," the spokeswoman told CNN on Thursday evening. "...We still are trying to identify a suspect."
Authorities hadn't established a motive either.
According to the Renegade Mountain Community Club, the area around where the bodies were found had been a retirement resort, a ski resort and a golf club, though it's now mostly home to a small number of families.
One such resident, Cynthia Benson, described the killings as "sad, scary."
"We've had little problems, but nothing major," she told WATE. "Nothing like this."
A Facebook posting on a page tied to the community offered "our deepest sympathy to their families."
"Our community is close and family-like," the message read. "The victims' families are certainly in our thoughts and prayers."
Burgess vowed that authorities are using "every asset that we have" to track down those responsible.
"Knock on wood, we've not had any (cases) that (have) gone unsolved," he said. "And we don't want this to be the one that does."

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(CNN) -- John Lajeunesse said he was heading to the Renegade Mountain area to go four-wheeling, nothing out of the ordinary for a 16-year-old kid in rural Tennessee.
How he and three other young people ended up shot dead inside a car on that same mountain is now a mystery before police and the small community of nearby Crossville.
A passerby discovered the car with the four victims, including a young mother, parked along a country road near the Renegade Mountain community Thursday morning.
Lajeunesse and a pair of 17-year-olds, Steven Presley and Dominic Davis, were the passengers. Rikki Jacobsen, a 22-year-old mother of a young boy, was in the driver's seat.
Three of the victims were current or former students of the local school district.
"It's something that reverberates through the entire community," said Donald Andrews, Cumberland County's school superintendent. "The loss of life is always tough, and especially (so) when it's young people."
Only one man has been publicly linked to the killings: Jacob Allen Bennett. Authorities said he was identified fairly quickly into the investigation and taken into custody around midnight Thursday without incident on a parole violation in nearby Rhea County.
Randy York, the district attorney general whose territory includes the crime scene, told reporters Friday that his office intends "in the very near future" to empanel a grand jury to consider charges against Bennett related to the four killings.
"The citizens of Cumberland County and Crossville can rest assured that we have the person who committed the crimes in custody, that the community is safe," said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn.

Profiles of the victims
The 26-year-old Bennett had been booked in Cumberland County five times before this, in addition to arrests in other counties and another state, said Sheriff Butch Burgess. He did not detail any of Bennett's alleged crimes, beyond the fact he'd been charged in 2009, convicted, sentenced to prison, then released on parole.
If law enforcement authorities know more, they kept the facts close to the vest Friday -- including about how the killings were carried out and why. They have been working diligently since first learning of the deaths at 7 a.m. Thursday.
"They're kind of like robots, they're still going," said Burgess of the state and local investigators. "To them, it's not a job, especially when they see the circumstances involve kids. It hits home."
And then there are the victims' families, struggling to make sense of the bloodshed in a place where -- as many insisted -- these kinds of things just don't happen.
Michael Rick, who lives with Lajeunesse's family, said he dropped the 16-year-old at Presley's house on Wednesday afternoon.
Lajeunesse mentioned that the pair were going to go four-wheeling at around Renegade Mountain and spend the night at his friend's house.
The next day, Lajeunesse didn't call Rick to be picked up.
"You just get that gut feeling when nothing is right," Rick said.
It wasn't until Thursday night that police were able to confirm what they feared: Lajeunesse was among those killed.
According to the Cumberland County Board of Education, Lajeunesse had attended two local high schools, though most recently he's been home-schooled.
Davis was a sophomore at Cumberland County High School, having recently moved with his family to Tennessee from Colorado, said Andrews. Another victim, Presley, graduated from The Phoenix School in May.
As to Jacobsen, she had a son who attended a Cumberland County elementary school -- and whom she "loved more than life itself," according to a friend who asked not to be named before they had not been friends for long.
"She was very nice, she was innocent, and she couldn't stop talking," the friend said.
Located about 70 miles west of Knoxville and 110 miles east of Nashville, Crossville is a small city that serves as the county seat for Cumberland and its 57,000 people. It's a place that the school superintendent describes as a "down-home type community" where "everyone seems to know everyone."
As a result, everyone has been shaken by this week's carnage.
Students in the county's 12 schools, particularly its three high schools, were told about the killings Friday morning, then encouraged to talk about it in class or with counselors.
"Some were very quiet, some were reflective, some were more open," said Andrews. "The mood at the schools was very subdued."
"It was just a surprise. It's one of those 'this doesn't happen here' kind of things. It's actually a grim reminder to us all that we're all vulnerable," he said.
But what, if anything, made these four victims particularly vulnerable, leading to their deaths, hasn't been revealed.
Was it a drug deal gone bad? A theft? A fight? Residents want to know, but authorities refuse to speculate.
Casey Cox, the sheriff department's lead investigator, explained that officials want to be careful about what they release, while acknowledging that this case is personal to many: "There's a lot of emotion that goes into this case just simply based on the age of these children."
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Police named Jacob Allen Bennett as the lone suspect after four people were found shot dead inside a vehicle in Tennessee.

Dominic Davis, John Lajeunesse, Steven Presley and Rikki Jacobsen were found dead Thursday in a car in Cumberland County, Tennessee.

(CNN) -- They were sons and daughters, with their whole lives ahead of them. Until -- for reasons no one has yet explained -- their lives came to a horrific, bloody halt on a rural road on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau.
While authorities didn't detail why or how the four victims were shot dead, they did release their identities on Friday.
Dominic Davis, 17
Davis was new to Tennessee, having recently moved from Colorado with his family "to make life better," Cumberland County's school district explained in information distributed to the media.
But in his short time here, school superintendent Donald Andrews told CNN, "They had endeared themselves to the community."
A sophomore at Cumberland County High School, where he was well-liked and respected, Davis loved art, music and sports, especially basketball.
Academically, his goal was modest -- to pass all his classes with at least a C. But in life, as he wrote in a class assignment, it was deeper and loftier: "I want to be remembered not as the best man alive, but the most respected."
Suspect detained in Tennessee
Steven Presley, 17
Presley used to miss class often. But his attendance was perfect after transferring to The Phoenix School, where he stood out -- and was singled out -- as an example that students could change and improve their lives.
And Presley made others' lives better in the process. The school district described him as "always happy, smiling, funny, kindhearted, sweet and polite," the type pf person "who would do anything for anyone (and) was loved by all who knew him."
He graduated from The Phoenix School in May. By then, Presley had already made a big impression with people from all walks of life who were lucky enough to cross his path.
"He reached out to those that no one else would," according to staff cited by the school district, "and treated everyone as a friend."
John Lajeunesse, 16
Lajeunesse had attended Cumberland County and Stone Memorial High School before settling in more recently as a home-schooled student.
Outside of academics, his interests weren't atypical for a teen growing up in rural Tennessee. He liked to go four-wheeling, loved to skateboard and wanted to spend more time hunting than he could, said Michael Rick, who lives with his family.
Rick described Lajeunesse as very loving toward his family, dedicating himself to his mother, sister and baby niece.
If he'd lived one month more, Lajeunesse would have turned 17. But for reasons those close to him are grappling to fathom, his loved ones are now mourning instead of celebrating.
Said Rick: "He was only 16. He was just getting out to live life."
Rikki Jacobsen, 22
The Cumberland County school district offered the least information on Jacobsen, beyond that she was the mother of a student attending an elementary school in the system.
That child, a son, was Jacobsen's life, according to a friend.
"She loved her little boy more than life itself," said the friend, who asked not be named because they had not been friends for too long. "She talked about her child a lot. That's what saddens me the most."
In fact, Jacobsen was chatty.
"She was very nice, she was innocent, and she couldn't stop talking," her friend said. "She had something to say about every topic."
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Thanks for the updates and adding the victims names to the subject line..Ya, LE didn't wast any time at all~~ wanna know the same thing.

September 15, 2013

Rikki Jacobsen, 22, and Dominic Davis,17, are two of the four people found Thursday morning in a car at Renegade Mountain. Officials said they and two others, John Lajeuness, 16, and Steven Presley, 17, were shot to death.
Jacobsen is Davis' aunt, which makes it a double tragedy for their family.
Jacobsen's father, Danny Crombie, said, "It's hard to lose two at once. One is bad enough, but two?".
Davis' mother, Tisa Tapia, said, "They were best friends. A lot of people thought they were brother and sister instead of her being his aunt, but that's his aunt."

The parents said it wasn't unusual for the aunt-nephew duo to go to Renegade Mountain to enjoy the hills, but what was unusual was the next morning both were missing.
"I hollered in my son's room and said, 'Are you going to get up? It's time to get up and get ready for school.' and I didn't hear any response like I normally do so I went in, felt his bed, and he wasn't there and I just knew there was something wrong," said Tapia.
Crombie and Tapia said they don't believe their children knew the suspect , Jacob Bennett, 26.

Tapia said, "I'm going to miss them so much. I don't even know how to say it. I miss them so much already. I can't believe anybody would do such a thing, I just can't."
Crombie said, "Life's got to go on and I think time will heal the pain, but it's going to take a long time to heal this pain."


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This is just so damn sad!!!

It's Heartbreaking!!

And this is another guy with multiple previous offenses that they kept letting out on parole!

September 20, 2013

A grand jury has indicted a man and his girlfriend on murder charges in the shooting deaths of a woman and three teenagers in what prosecutors called a robbery during a pot deal in Tennessee.

On Friday, a Cumberland County grand jury indicted 26-year-old Jacob Allen Bennett and 25-year-old Lina Yvonn Moser on four felony murder and two attempted aggravated robbery charges. Bennett, who is accused of being the gunman, was also charged with four counts of premeditated murder.

WATE-TV reports that Bennett said during his arraignment Friday that he wanted to plead guilty, but the judge instead assigned him an attorney.


Bennett and Moser are accused of trying to rob two of the victims during what the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation described as a marijuana exchange.

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Brittany Lina Yvonn Moser

She has COLD eyes!

September 22, 2013

One family had two goodbyes Saturday in Cumberland County after their loved ones became victims in a quadruple homicide late last week.
Rikki Jacobsen, 22, and Dominic Davis, were among the four young people found shot to death at Renegade Mountain in Crab Orchard on September 12, 2013.
Jacqueline Davis, Jacobsen's aunt and Davis' great-aunt, said, "This is the hardest thing for our family. It's just horrific." She continued, "They were [very close], Rikki and Dom, and so I guess they had to die together because one couldn't live without the other."
During the memorial service, arms were placed around one another for comfort while many wearing Denver Broncos colors, Dominic's favorite NFL team, shared their favorite memories of the two.
Davis' friend, Mason Walker, said, "We had a handshake and we would just hang out. He was kind of a confidence builder. He would always make you feel good. He'd never let you stay down."
Tawnja Davis, another one of Jacobsen's aunts and Davis' great-aunts, said, "In my bathroom me and [Rikki] would be in the mirror. I'm going to miss that. Dominic always never failed to come in, rub my shoulders, put his arms around me, and say 'Aunt Tawnja I love you'."
Sadly, the pain being felt now is one the same family has felt before.
"I lost my son three years ago. I know what it's like. That was the first one in our family that we lost and now we've lost two more," Tawnja Davis said.
Friends and relatives said although the two young people may be gone, they will always be remembered.

The other two murder victims, Steven Presley, 17, and John Lajeunesse, 16, were also remembered by those who attended Saturday's memorial service.

Jacob Bennett, 26, and his girlfriend Brittany Moser, 25, are now both charged with four counts of felony murder and 2 counts of attempted armed robbery. Bennett also faces four counts of premeditated murder because investigators say he pulled the trigger.

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September 20, 2013

Victims' relatives had strong words about a quadruple murder in Cumberland County after they got their first look at the suspects in court on Friday.
Authorities formally charged Jacob Bennett, 26, with murder in the four killings in the Renegade Mountain community. But the victims' families were surprised to learn his girlfriend Brittany Moser, 25, is also facing murder charges.
"A lot of times it's guys who do stuff like that, but for a girl to help is kind of sick," said Jennifer Cantrall, Jacobsen's sister and Davis' aunt
"The female was a surprise. I don't know what her involvement is. I'm pretty sure Jake was the one who shot them and I'm pretty sure it was premeditated," said Sherril Combrie, Jacobsen's mother and Davis' grandmother.
Moser and Bennett are facing four counts of felony murder and two counts of attempted armed robbery. Bennett also faces four counts of premeditated murder, as he's accused of pulling the trigger.
"They took my babies. My first born grandson, my daughter and I feel he has no remorse," Combrie said.
Moser pleaded not guilty to charges, and Bennett pleaded guilty.
"I hope he rots, pretty much. That's how I hope it goes," said Cantrall.
In addition to Jacobsen and Davis, Steve Presley, 17, and John Lajeunesse, 16, were also found shot to death in a car at Renegade Mountain.

The indictment says Bennett and Moser attempted to rob a couple of the victims of marijuana, however relatives of Jacobsen and Davis say those two victims were not involved with drugs.

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March 12, 2014

f authorities in Florida wanted to pick up Jacob Allen Bennett on the felony larceny charge he has been wanted on since 2008, they had to only come to Tennessee and snatch him.

Bennett had been arrested multiple times here since 2008. In 2013 he even called down to Florida to see if he could make that charge go away.

Instead, Bennett was left to go about his life on Renegade Mountain in East Tennessee. And on Sept. 12, 2013, police say, he shot and killed Rikki Jacobsen, 22; her nephew, Dominic Davis, 17; and their friends Steven Presley, 17, and John Lajeunesse, 16.

While the larceny warrant was but one of many missed opportunities authorities had to lock up Bennett, it isn't a surprise he was able to evade Florida authorities so easily.

Bennett was one of those cases in which police and prosecutors decided it wasn't worth pursuing him beyond Florida's neighboring states. That's hard to fathom for Tim Tapia, whose son Dominic was among the four found dead on Renegade Mountain that September day.

"You commit a crime, you need to pay for it. It's not, 'Well, we don't have the money for it or we're just going to let it ride,' " Tapia said. " 'Letting it ride' — look what happened. Four people are now dead because they chose not to do anything about it."

Bennett was wanted on one such crime — felony larceny. Authorities in Santa Rosa County, Fla., accused him of clearing out more than $1,000 from his girlfriend's bank account in 2008. But he moved to Tennessee before deputies could catch him.

Within months of putting his name into the FBI's database in 2009, authorities were fielding calls from Tennessee police telling them that their fugitive had been found, records show. In all, authorities had at least six chances to come pick him up between 2009 and September 2013. He wasn't hard to find — he was in a Tennessee prison from March 2010 to March 2013. Police records show Florida authorities knew exactly where he was and considered whether to extradite him on multiple occasions.

But every time, the answer was the same: Tennessee was too far away. Authorities there last heard from Bennett in March of 2013 shortly after he was released from a Tennessee prison. He called to ask whether there was any way to "take care of this (Florida charge) without being arrested," according to a police report. When the officer said no, he hung up.

Six months later, four bodies were found on Renegade Mountain near Bennett's home. He was arrested on four counts of premeditated murder, four counts of felony murder and two counts of aggravated robbery. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

His attorney, Robert Marlowe, declined to discuss the case against his client. But he said he was unsurprised Florida authorities didn't pick him up.

"Considering the amount of money involved, it probably wasn't worth it," he said.

Assistant State Attorney John Parker, who handles all extradition requests in Santa Rosa County, confirmed as much. He said the cost was too high and the charges would probably have only led to probation. Even if Bennett was locked up in 2009, he would have been out well before the Renegade Mountain murders, he said.

Parker doesn't second-guess the decision not to extradite.

"I'm saddened about what happened, but we don't have a crystal ball," he said.

For Tapia and other relatives of the four killed on Renegade Mountain, that's little solace.

"Our laws here are so easy for people to commit crimes and continue keep on committing crimes where eventually it leads to murder," he said. "And that's when they decide to get serious about it."

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Mar 13, 2014

Bond was set Thursday for one of the suspects accused in the murders of four people found shot to death in their car last October.

At a motions hearing Thursday morning, bond for Brittany Moser was set for $1 million.

Seventeen pre-trial motions were heard at the hearing for Moser and her boyfriend Jacob Allen Bennett.

Bennett was not present at the hearing.

Both Bennett and Moser are facing felony murder charges, even though it's believed Bennett was the only one pulling the trigger. That's because law enforcement believes Moser knew all about the planned robbery, making her guilty of the murders that happened as a result of the robbery.

The victims, Rikki Jacobsen, Steven Presley, Domonic Davis and John Lajeunesse, were found shot to death in a car in Renegade Mountain.

Another motions hearing is scheduled for May 28.

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May 28, 2014

CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Last September, Jacob Bennett told the judge he wanted to plead guilty at the beginning of his arraignment, before he'd consulted with an attorney. The big issue on Wednesday was whether it was an official plea and if it could keep the state from seeking the death penalty against Bennett.

According to the law, the state must file notice of its intent to seek the death penalty 30 days before trial. The State hadn't given its notice when Bennett said he wanted to plead guilty during his initial appearance.

"The idea that the defense put forward was that if he had entered the plea, by statute, he would be guilty of the first degree murder and it would keep us, by law, from filing the enhanced punishment," said Deputy District Attorney Gary McKenzie.

The judge ruled that since the arraignment was stopped, and because Bennett hadn't been advised of his rights, it wasn't an official plea and the state can seek the death penalty.

Bennett and Brittany Moser are accused of killing Ricki Jacobsen, Steven Presley, Domonic Davis and Jonathan Lajeunesse during a drug deal gone bad on Renegade Mountain last September.

The judge granted Bennett's motion to remain in jail during additional motions hearings.

Brittany Moser's attorneys asked the judge to have her tried separately from Bennett. The judge said he'll take up that issue at a later time.

The next court date in the case is set for August 13.

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