Brooke Bennett, 12 years old Randolph VT #18

[VTNance]

When a witness is in "protective custody" what does that really mean? That they are confined to a certain location? Assigned bodyguards? I don't really know what it entails? TIA for clearing this up for me!

 

[LaLaw2000]

Denise could have prevented Brooke's murder, so could have Cassandra.
IMO

Yes, this is what I feel also. She (Denise) certainly did not act on what she saw with her own eyes! Had she done the right thing THEN, maybe Brooke would not have been murdered.

Cassandra could have kept Brooke out of a convicted sex offenders house. The cousins could have visited somewhere else. It should have been explained to those children why MJ was not to be around them.

I have no apologies for feeling this way. The sisters both put themselves ahead of the well being and safety of their children.

 

[Lola]

According to this article posted by emanon7

Investigation leads to Cullman

Gagnon lived in Cullman from 1998 - 2007. They also say that he and Cassandra seperated about 4 years ago.

 

[SailorMoon]

Good, good, we can go with that. I just don't get how these 2 women were so clueless. And will someone please explain to me why AR is still living with Denise?? (I'm assuming so because of the children with her at the funeral)

Why Denise would be allowed around of small children now?? Knowing what we know?? What the heck is wrong with CPS there???

Her is a thought on Denise and Casandra.

We heard about divorce rumors and that Denise and AR were going to go to counciling. Maybe Denise went to Casandra with her fears of MJ messing with AR. Maybe they encouraged Brooke to hang out with AR because maybe AR would tell Brooke before she would tell an adult. If it was me I'd take my babies and run, but maybe Casandra wanted ammo for the divorce proceedings.

Sometimes I try to take a charitable view of people. :blowkiss:

 

[LaLaw2000]

According to this article posted by emanon7

Investigation leads to Cullman

Gagnon lived in Cullman from 1998 - 2007. They also say that he and Cassandra seperated about 4 years ago.

There is also another article somewhere (trying to find it) stating that Gagnon and Cassandra were married in Alabama. I would really like to know how they met.

 

[DeltaDawn]

You misread my post... I said she's indirectly responsible.

Please forgive me..I see that you are right LI Mom..my mistake.

:blowkiss:

I will delete that post.

 

[believe09]

Thank you for the link posted above. I found this interesting;
snip
James Bennett, Brooke’s father, said Gagnon had been married to Brooke’s mother, Cassandra Gagnon, whose sister is married to Jacques. Bennett said they separated about four years ago and may have divorced.
snip
What 6 years was Brooke living under this guy's roof? I mean, they appear to have separated when Brooke was 8...when did she arrive in VT?

 

[Carrington]

Yes, this is what I feel also. She (Denise) certainly did not act on what she saw with her own eyes! Had she done the right thing THEN, maybe Brooke would not have been murdered.

Cassandra could have kept Brooke out of a convicted sex offenders house. The cousins could have visited somewhere else. It should have been explained to those children why MJ was not to be around them.

I have no apologies for feeling this way. The sisters both put themselves ahead of the well being and safety of their children.

Brooke would not have been murdered, because he would have been in jail.
IF Brooke's family would have done "The right thing"
IMO

 

[DeltaDawn]

Yes, this is what I feel also. She (Denise) certainly did not act on what she saw with her own eyes! Had she done the right thing THEN, maybe Brooke would not have been murdered.

Cassandra could have kept Brooke out of a convicted sex offenders house. The cousins could have visited somewhere else. It should have been explained to those children why MJ was not to be around them.

I have no apologies for feeling this way. The sisters both put themselves ahead of the well being and safety of their children.

I absolutely agree that these two sisters have a lot of dumb, blind, stupid, ridiculous actions to be held accountable for. I agree that the children in their families should have been made aware of why no one can be left alone with this uncle MJ and that they should have enforced that.

But, I don't think..unless they took part in anything to do with Breckenridge or the murder that LE will arrest them. I wish they could ..just for being stupid!!!

I do think that someone from Child Services should be looking into the family situation , talking to the rest of the children and setting up guidelines with them on who is permissable to be with the children and who isn't..since these foolish women couldn't figure that out for themselves..nor either of the grandmothers involved. That is what I find so appalling..all these adult women in their lives and no one seemed to have a clue that the kids shouldn't be near the SO in the family.

 

[Hailiejade77]

Yes, this is what I feel also. She (Denise) certainly did not act on what she saw with her own eyes! Had she done the right thing THEN, maybe Brooke would not have been murdered.

Cassandra could have kept Brooke out of a convicted sex offenders house. The cousins could have visited somewhere else. It should have been explained to those children why MJ was not to be around them.

I have no apologies for feeling this way. The sisters both put themselves ahead of the well being and safety of their children.

I feel the same way! All the children in this were failed!!!!!!! The adults (especially the two pedophile loving mothers) should be held responsible. They (meaning everyone) let their children around KNOWN sex offenders. I will tell you this much,.. it would be a cold day in hell before I would let anyone that was a sex offender,..(even if it wasn't against a child) be around my daughter!
What I don't understand is,.. If Brooke's real dad knew she was visiting TWO sex offenders,.. why the hell didn't he try to get custody of her? I just don't get it. The family, friends and law officials failed Brooke, AR, Savanna, C, and all of the other children in this family TREMENDOUSLY!!!! JMO

Sorry about the rant,.. I just don't understand how you can love someone so much and put them in harms way.

 

[KTaylorsc]

I'm baaaack...

Do any of you think there is a Breckenridge? Do you think that is why, if they are, in protective custody? Maybe there is some truth to that part of the story and they are protecting the family? Why wouldn't they protect the Bennetts and Cassandra?

 

[Chica]

I absolutely agree that these two sisters have a lot of dumb, blind, stupid, ridiculous actions to be held accountable for. I agree that the children in their families should have been made aware of why no one can be left alone with this uncle MJ and that they should have enforced that.

But, I don't think..unless they took part in anything to do with Breckenridge or the murder that LE will arrest them. I wish they could ..just for being stupid!!!

I do think that someone from Child Services should be looking into the family situation , talking to the rest of the children and setting up guidelines with them on who is permissable to be with the children and who isn't..since these foolish women couldn't figure that out for themselves..nor either of the grandmothers involved. That is what I find so appalling..all these adult women in their lives and no one seemed to have a clue that the kids shouldn't be near the SO in the family.

Thank you. I know it is not a popular position to hold, but I agree with you! I know that no one on this board would have made the same choices that either of these mothers did in relation to letting their children associate with a known RSO, but I feel we really don't have enough information from their perspective as to why they made the choices they did. I think it is a strong possiblity that ignorance played a large role . . . not that ignorance is an excuse - and I am certainly not trying to make up excuses for them - but I don't want to believe they allowed their children be around a RSO thinking there was even a remote chance that there was danger for their children. SO's are very manipulative, and I'm sure MJ had quite the song and dance for anyone who would listen as to why he is an RSO. . . he very likely could have said they were dating...she was mad at him...whatever. I'm just trying to say that I HOPE these mothers didn't willingly put their children in danger. I would like more information before I take lthe mothers out back and shoot them...I sure would like to hear their side of the story!:waitasec:

 

[KTaylorsc]

They probably were fed the whole "Baby, I've changed" line and fell for it hook line and sinker.

 

[lightinthedark]

I feel the same way! All the children in this were failed!!!!!!! The adults (especially the two pedophile loving mothers) should be held responsible. They (meaning everyone) let their children around KNOWN sex offenders. I will tell you this much,.. it would be a cold day in hell before I would let anyone that was a sex offender,..(even if it wasn't against a child) be around my daughter!
What I don't understand is,.. If Brooke's real dad knew she was visiting TWO sex offenders,.. why the hell didn't he try to get custody of her? I just don't get it. The family, friends and law officials failed Brooke, AR, Savanna, C, and all of the other children in this family TREMENDOUSLY!!!! JMO

Sorry about the rant,.. I just don't understand how you can love someone so much and put them in harms way.

I whole heartedly agree!! It just bothers me that these two sisters were married to SOs. It makes me wonder, were they victims of sexual assult at one point in their lives? Or is it just a huge coincidence that they both happened to fall for SOs? Not that it excuses the neglect to their children's safety. Stupidity is not an excuse either, it's criminal. Who knows what other dark secrets are being swept under the rug in that family. The whole thing is sickening. ALL IMO.

 

[evelyn24]

I realize that Denise and MJ's youngest child has been ID'd in the media as well as Brooke's half brother-someday one or both of them may google themselves and these threads will come up. I know that the TOS as set forth by stated leaving them out of it until their names were out in the mainstream media, but I wish oh wish we did not have to take that step simply because we can....

They are so exceptionally innocent, and I am actually concerned that Denise might, (and I mean might) be using the youngest as an example that they have nothing to hide-or that their lives are business as usual or for some other agenda...I mean who has a child that young speak at a funeral that is as high profile as this one??

JMHO.

Denise allowed her youngest to talk in front of a crowd of nearly a 1000 people, and in front of local and national media.
The threads on this board are the last thing I think those kids will worry about or be embarrassed about if they google their names when they get older. Especially considering the case at hand.
I have not mentioned the name of her daughter even though it's everywhere in the media, and I think most people here are not comfortable mentioning it, but I don't think it's going to matter at this point if someone does because the media has it plastered.

 

[VTNance]

What I don't understand is,.. If Brooke's real dad knew she was visiting TWO sex offenders,.. why the hell didn't he try to get custody of her?

I agree, if you have kids you don't let them be around sex offenders, not under any conditions, no ifs, ands, or buts. That would be my rule.

In Jim Bennett's defense though, he and Cassandra were never married nor did they EVER live together. So the custody situation may have been a very difficult one.

And I don't think he knew that Brooke's stepdad was a SO, since he had no convictions yet.

I'm not saying it was OK, guess I just can't help but feel sorry for Jim Bennett...I think he was doing the best that HE could do under the circumstances. I mean, he was in Iraq part of the time, etc. etc. The two mothers, on the other hand, could have done everything to keep their children safe, but instead PUT them in harm's way. It's JMO but I think Jim Bennett will suffer for the rest of his life about this but I"m not really sure about the mothers....

Since Jacques had been released from probation, was he supposed to be "safe" around children or was he still forbidden to be around them unsupervised? Just wondering, not implying that it was a good idea in any case.

sigh... all so sickening.

 

[DianeB]

Thank you for the link posted above. I found this interesting;
snip
James Bennett, Brooke’s father, said Gagnon had been married to Brooke’s mother, Cassandra Gagnon, whose sister is married to Jacques. Bennett said they separated about four years ago and may have divorced.
snip
What 6 years was Brooke living under this guy's roof? I mean, they appear to have separated when Brooke was 8...when did she arrive in VT?

I have a related question. If Gagnon lived in AL from 98-07 and married Cassandra in 2000, was she living in Alabama at that time or did she move there when they married?

Brooke would have been two years old at the time of the marriage.

 

[stillblv]

I feel the same way! All the children in this were failed!!!!!!! The adults (especially the two pedophile loving mothers) should be held responsible. They (meaning everyone) let their children around KNOWN sex offenders. I will tell you this much,.. it would be a cold day in hell before I would let anyone that was a sex offender,..(even if it wasn't against a child) be around my daughter!
What I don't understand is,.. If Brooke's real dad knew she was visiting TWO sex offenders,.. why the hell didn't he try to get custody of her? I just don't get it. The family, friends and law officials failed Brooke, AR, Savanna, C, and all of the other children in this family TREMENDOUSLY!!!! JMO

Sorry about the rant,.. I just don't understand how you can love someone so much and put them in harms way.

I remember reading that the bio Dad had been in Iraq. He may not have been able to get custody because he wasn't here.

 

[believe09]

With all due respect, Denise allowed her youngest to talk in front of a crowd of nearly a 1000 people, and in front of local and national media.
These threads are the last thing I think those kids will worry about if they google their names when they get older. Especially considering the case at hand.
I have not mentioned the name of her daughter even though it's everywhere in the media, but it's not like everyone doesn't know it.

Yes, I realize she did. I respect your opinion of course-but I do not think that Denise's ideas about protecting her children and my ideas of protecting my children coincide. I would never have let my child speak at this funeral, and possibly I would not have allowed her to attend it. Denise and I do not have the same agenda, however.

 

[calidreamin]

I whole heartedly agree!! It just bothers me that these two sisters were married to SOs. It makes me wonder, were they victims of sexual assult at one point in their lives? Or is it just a huge coincidence that they both happened to fall for SOs? Not that it excuses the neglect to their children's safety. Stupidity is not an excuse either, it's criminal. Who knows what other dark secrets are being swept under the rug in that family. The whole thing is sickening. ALL IMO.

Well hello neighbor and I totally agree with this! I heard a shrink on one of the news shows saying that it is very unusual for 2 sisters to be married to sex offenders at the same time.