My First News Item
My Nine News ItemThe Sad Story of Gary Wayne Bentley
Gary Wayne Bentley was born on August 31, 1984, in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents' names were Gerald and Lisa Bentley. Gary chose to work as an electrician for his career.
In 2006, Gary met Tasha, who was a year older than him. They dated for six years and got married in September 2012. Gary's sister, Amy Bentley, described him as relaxed and easygoing compared to his confident and determined wife.
Gary's mother, Lisa Bentley, has fond memories of her son as someone who loved spending time outdoors. He had a passion for hunting and collecting firearms, as well as fishing gear. After Gary and Tasha tied the knot, they welcomed their son, who we'll call "Connor" to respect his privacy as a minor, about three months later. Lisa remembered that both Gary and Tasha were loving and devoted parents, but Gary took a more active role in caring for their child, while Tasha preferred to spend time with her friends.
Gary Is Brutally Murdered
According to Gary's father, Gerald Bentley, his son deeply valued his family and worked hard to provide a good future for his son. Gary was proud of his family and enjoyed a comfortable life in a large house with a car. It came as a shock to everyone when Tasha reached out to Gerald on December 10, 2017, because Gary wasn't answering his phone. Tasha also mentioned her worries about the garage door being open and feeling afraid to go inside the house.
Gerald went to the couple's house and was greeted by their dogs. He called out for his son, but Gary didn't respond. Gerald searched the house and sadly found Gary lying in bed, deceased. Gary had been shot in the back of his head.
Gerald called 911 immediately, and the police arrived at the scene. They found a single bullet casing on the bed next to Gary's body. According to the police, it appeared that Gary was shot while he was sleeping, facing away from the door. There was no evidence of a break-in or forced entry, and all of Gary's guns were missing from the safe, as reported.
Investigating The Murder
From the beginning of the investigation into the homicide, the police had a strong suspicion that the killer was someone who knew the household well. The neighbors hadn't noticed anything unusual, and the investigators believed that the dogs would have barked if a stranger had entered the house. This led them to suspect that the assailant might have been recognized by the dogs.
The detectives found this circumstance suspicious and started focusing their investigation on Gary's wife, Tasha Bentley. It's common for spouses to be scrutinized in such cases when their partners are killed.
Gary with his parents
During the investigation, the detectives discovered that the Bentleys' marriage had some difficulties. Tasha, who worked as a nurse, was more assertive than her husband and cared a lot about her looks. However, she had been facing problems with her job performance, which caused stress and arguments at home.
The situation became worse when Tasha got fired after returning from a vacation in Jamaica with some family friends in September 2016. Although she later found a new job, it was evident that the couple was going through a challenging period.
Shortly after, family and friends started noticing something was wrong when Tasha began spending weekends away and coming home late. Gerald, Gary's father, tried to express his concerns to his son, but Gary kept reassuring him that everything was okay between him and Tasha.
Once the murder investigation started, the police received a call the following day from Tasha's best friend, Amy Day, who happened to be married to Gary's best friend, Kevin. Both couples had gone on a trip to Jamaica together the previous year.
Amy's call gave the police an important lead - Tasha was planning to leave Gary for another man named Anthony, whom she had met at work. She was getting ready to move out in mid-January 2018.
During their investigation, the detectives uncovered that Tasha had acquired a $1 million life insurance policy for Gary. The policy became active only four days before the murder took place. When the investigators contacted the insurance company, they discovered that Tasha had given authorization for the policy using Gary's electronic signature. This evidence strongly linked her to the crime, prompting the police to bring Tasha in for questioning.
Tasha admitted her guilt and pleaded guilty to murdering her husband in July 2021. As a result, she was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Currently, the 40-year-old is serving her sentence at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women. According to the court records, Tasha's earliest possible parole date is in 2037, but her entire sentence is scheduled to end in 2072.