GUILTY OH - Bennie Angelo, 87, murdered, Canton, 7 Jan 2007

http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox...n=5&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

"It has been two years and the murder of a World War II veteran remains unsolved.

Bennie Angelo, 87, was killed in his own home on Jan. 7, 2007.

His daughters, Rebecca Angelo and Mary Arbaugh, find it hard to go into his house, a home he lived in for 50 years, a place they grew up in.

It's also where Bennie died, when police say he fell victim to a killer intent on robbery.

After being beaten and shot, Bennie's home on Endrow Ave. N.E. in Canton was set on fire. It still shows the scars from that day two years ago.

Canton police believe Bennie's killer set the fire to cover up the crime. So far, it's worked, because whoever murdered the U.S. Army veteran has not been caught.

That really bothers Sgt. Victor George, one of the investigators on the case. "He could live through all those adversities in life and in his golden years he's killed in his own residence while probably doing nothing more than watching TV or reading so I guess I have a little more anger in me that wants me to solve this crime," said George."

http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x1621232724/Vigil-marks-second-anniversary-of-slaying

"Bennie Angelo, an 87-year-old U.S. Army veteran who survived the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor, was killed there in 2007, beaten, shot and left in his burning home. A neighbor clearing brush from his yard in July 2007 found Angelo’s wallet and holster that had been stolen during the murder.

But police have been unable to determine who killed Angelo."
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"He was 87 when he died on January 7th (the same day Christopher Newsom died in the story above, ironically). Initial reports indicated he died from smoke inhalation. It was only after doctors did a more thorough exam that they found that Bennie was beaten badly and then shot multiple times. The pusillanimous thugs that did this to Bennie then started the fire to cover their tracks. Reports a few weeks earlier had been filed with local police regarding robberies from Bennie’s home where cash and coins were stolen. It is believed his murder is linked to these robberies 2 weeks earlier. Unfortunately, there are no leads and no one has been arrested for this crime. America's Most Wanted has done some work on this case.

Bennie was a big deal to a lot of people. He had survived a terror attack at Pearl Harbor, lived for another 60+ years in peace, only to die at 87 after being beaten, then shot to death and his home torched - all for the contents of his safe. Shameful. He deserved better than this.

So what do we do here? We’ve gone way past problem stage. There is a culture of crime permeating segments of our population, and it’s getting worse and worse. There is no level of respect for anyone any longer. Calling for a change in the culture is definitely warranted, but isn’t enough. There are too many that flat out won’t change. And many more that won’t help (don't snitch). Even the elderly are fair game in the eyes of criminals today. It is an incredibly sad state of affairs when we have crime running rampant in many parts of this country, and the focus of our local and federal government is not on trying to solve the problems. We’re merely treading water in most places…We NEED to get our eyes back on the ball people."


Info found in a random blog:
http://anti-strib.blogspot.com/2007/05/crimes-like-these-are-beyond.html

My great-grandfather was Bennie Angelo. He was an amazing guy, funny, smart, feisty... and someone in January 2007, (possibly more than 1) decided to rob him, shoot him 4 times in the chest, and set his house on fire to try to cover the evidence. He was 87 years old, and a decorated veteran from WWII. He survived Pearl Harbor and WWII.

His AMW link
http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=43230

Local newspaper link (5 years after he was killed)
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x1015657920/Bennie-Angelo-murder-remains-unsolved-after-5-years

And I attached his picture. I don't know if my family and I will ever get closure on his case, but I know his killer(s) are out there and I hope they mess up and talk.

Bumping for a Veteran today...

http://www.cantonrep.com/article/20140409/NEWS/140409156/10973/NEWS

Chester R. Crank, 33, 202 19th St. NE, will go on trial on July 21 on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated arson, said Chryssa Hartnett, an assistant Stark County prosecutor...

Angelo was found beaten and shot to death in his burning Endrow Avenue NE home on Jan. 7, 2007. Crank was arrested in September based on tape-recorded conversations with a undercover informant

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http://www.cantonrep.com/article/20140712/NEWS/140719760/10973/NEWS

The reward poster had been sent to every county jail in Ohio: “OVER $15,000 REWARD ... For any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Bennie Angelo.”

The poster — red and white and black with a photo of the Pearl Harbor veteran in the middle — broke open the case that had been unsolved for nearly seven years. A person who was being booked into the Stark County Jail noticed the call for help in the case.

That individual led police to Chester R. Crank, the 34-year-old Canton man who will go on trial the week of July 21 in Stark County Common Pleas Court. He is accused of robbing and fatally shooting Angelo in 2007. Crank then set the house on fire in an attempt to hide evidence of the crime, according to investigators.

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http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-...ran-bennie-angelo-sentenced-to-life-in-prison

Chester Crank, 34, was found guilty of aggravated murder and aggravated burglary and sentenced to serve life in prison without parole, plus 14 years, in prison after a week-long jury trial.

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