Uncle Indicted In Sex Slaying Of Brooke Bennett
Posted on Thursday, 2 of October , 2008 at 5:48 pm
RUTLAND, VT—-A federal grand jury sitting in Rutland has handed up a six count indictment charging Michael Jacques, 42, of Randolph, Vt., with the sexual assault, kidnapping and murder of his niece, 12-year-old Brooke Bennett.
The indictment also charges Jacques with the production and possession of child pornography.
A “Notice of Special Findings” was issued by the grand jury thereby making Jacques eligible for a sentence of death if convicted of the kidnapping charge.
An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled by the U.S. District Court. Jacques is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to the Indictment, in 2003, Jacques intimidated, deceived and persuaded a nine years old girl into believing that a powerful organization named “Breckenridge” would harm or kill her and her family if she did not engage in sex acts with Jacques. The indictment further alleges that between 2003 and 2008, Jacques sent numerous emails and text messages from fictitious characters (such as Eric and Charles) supposedly associated with Breckenridge to this juvenile.
As a result, Jacques allegedly succeeded in causing this juvenile to submit to ongoing Breckenridge directives, including allowing Jacques to videotape himself having sex with the juvenile. The Indictment further alleges Jacques drugged the child before sexually assaulting her.
According to the Indictment, Jacques also convinced the juvenile that Breckenridge sometimes “terminated” girls in the program and that the juvenile might have to assist in the planning of such a termination (but not participate in the actual termination). In early 2008, Jacques sent the juvenile a series of emails purportedly from Breckenridge operatives telling the juvenile that Brooke Bennett had been designated for termination because she was causing significant problems for the juvenile’s father, resulting in him becoming suicidal.
The Indictment further alleges that in May and June 2008, Jacques sent numerous emails to the juvenile, purportedly from Breckenridge operatives, stating that she was expected to assist Jacques in abducting Brooke Bennett and turning her over to Breckenridge operatives.
The indictment further alleges that on June 24, 2008, Jacques lured his niece to his residence, with the assistance of the juvenile, by leading Brooke to believe that she would be a guest at a pool party there the following day. On June 25, police say Jacques drove Brooke Bennett to the Cumberland Farms convenience store in Randolph and left her there to create the pretense that he was ending his contact with her.
The indictment also alleges that shortly after leaving Brook at the store, Jacques picked her up not far from the store and brought her back to his house. Once at his house, Jacques instructed the juvenile to leave. The indictment goes on to allege that Jacques then drugged, sexually assaulted, and murdered his niece.
The Vermont Medical Examiner has determined that the girl’s death was caused by strangulation and smothering due to a plastic bag over her head and around her neck.
Under federal law, the U.S. Attorney General will make the decision whether the federal governmentwill seek the death penalty against Jacques. The decision will be made only after the Attorney General completes a thorough review of the facts and law. The U.S Attorney’s office emphasized that no decision has yet been made whether the death penalty will be sought in this case. A decision is not expected for several months.
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