Tom Beno was my cousin. He had a lot character about him but paid for his judgment of keeping the company of Tom Kemp. My cousin introduced me to Kemp less that a year before Kemp murdered him. Tom Beno had only told me that while employed by Tom at Beno’s nursery, Kemp would tell customers that he was the owner, not my cousin Tom. My visit to Kemp’s house some 21 years ago, confirmed Kemp’s opinion of himself; I witnessed a domestic bully of sorts who ordered his wife and step-daughter around. It was not behavior I was familiar with and even all these years later, I remember how it felt to be in his presence. He held court on the couch in his living room with his large Rotweiller dog as he went on in a grand way about what seemed at the time to be his spin on his business dealings; I did not know, but the way he told his stories it seemed they were more to impress than based on fact. I was aware then too that he kept guns in the house. I was not impressed, but was concerned for Tom.
Later, I wondered why my cousin Tom Beno would hang-out with this sort of fellow. Tom was smitten with his step-daughter. Tom suggested to me that she had told him that Kemp bullied her and that living there was becoming a concern to her. Tom wanted to play the white knight and rescue her from that environment but I cautioned him to let her move-out first on her own then consider marriage. Perhaps impulsively, Tom soon after married her and his wedding day, stopped by Kemp’s house. Kemp’s response is a matter of record.
Look, Kemp acted-out on his perhaps grandiose manner and in doing so, took the life of a good and kind-hearted man. What is proper punishment for such a dastardly deed? I can't speak for his family, but I would not be in any hurry to consider him for parole.
Scott (anonymous) says...
Tom Beno was my cousin. He had a lot character about him but paid for his judgment of keeping the company of Tom Kemp. My cousin introduced me to Kemp less that a year before Kemp murdered him. Tom Beno had only told me that while employed by Tom at Beno’s nursery, Kemp would tell customers that he was the owner, not my cousin Tom. My visit to Kemp’s house some 21 years ago, confirmed Kemp’s opinion of himself; I witnessed a domestic bully of sorts who ordered his wife and step-daughter around. It was not behavior I was familiar with and even all these years later, I remember how it felt to be in his presence. He held court on the couch in his living room with his large Rotweiller dog as he went on in a grand way about what seemed at the time to be his spin on his business dealings; I did not know, but the way he told his stories it seemed they were more to impress than based on fact. I was aware then too that he kept guns in the house. I was not impressed, but was concerned for Tom.
Later, I wondered why my cousin Tom Beno would hang-out with this sort of fellow. Tom was smitten with his step-daughter. Tom suggested to me that she had told him that Kemp bullied her and that living there was becoming a concern to her. Tom wanted to play the white knight and rescue her from that environment but I cautioned him to let her move-out first on her own then consider marriage. Perhaps impulsively, Tom soon after married her and his wedding day, stopped by Kemp’s house. Kemp’s response is a matter of record.
Look, Kemp acted-out on his perhaps grandiose manner and in doing so, took the life of a good and kind-hearted man. What is proper punishment for such a dastardly deed? I can't speak for his family, but I would not be in any hurry to consider him for parole.
Tom Beno's Cousin Scott
March 9, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. reply permalink suggest removal