Found Deceased IL - Benedetta 'Beth' Bentley, 41, Mount Vernon, 23 May 2010 #1

[radiant]

Also...

When did J arrive back home? Did she call Beth at any point to see that she made it back ok? If she didn't get an answer on the cell, did she try the home phone? Or her husband's law office?

Those are good questions. I don't know when J arrived back, but I'm pretty certain she went Thursday to post flyers in Chicago.

I don't know if she tried to call Beth, but if she did not, this should be a big red flag to police, because if I dropped someone off to get on a train and travel hundreds of miles home, by themselves, at night, I would certainly check up on them to make sure they were safe on their journey. Oh, but that's right, she didn't wait around for Beth, either, she says, when she supposedly dropped her off for the train.

 

[pufnstuf]

URGENT! Our friend, BETH BENTLEY, is MISSING! Beth has not been seen or heard from since Sunday, May 23. Scott and her family are very worried. If you have ANY INFORMATION please call Scott at 815.341.0722

Beth was last seen getting on the Amtrak in Mt. Vernon and was expected to arrive in Chicago. It is thought that s...he arrived, but it is unknown where or with whom she may have gone with. Scott last spoke to Beth on Sunday at 6pm.

May 26 on the Woodstock Independent's FB page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Woodstock-Independent/33099827764

 

[Calliope]

J's sister is responding to every post that mentions J with a statement something like, paraphrased, "J can't say anything because her lawyer has told her not to speak publicly about this."

She places herself as the last person known to have seen Beth (taking her to the train station). I can see why she'd want a lawyer; I imagine police are looking at her (and her boyfriend) pretty hard.

 

[radiant]

Radiant, do you know if police have searched in and around the house in Mt Vernon, and if they've brought in dogs?

I don't think they can assume she ever left that location.

I am waiting to hear more info about this myself. I'm sure police are looking at this house. I can't say to what extent it may have already been searched through.

 

[revampz]

ok....now a few things are becoming a bit clearer....

First of all it was a Vendor at Union station that thought they saw her.....I thought it may have been Centralia.......ok.......

And as per above post the police are now saying that the friend just dropped her off at the station NOT saw her actually board the train....

As wholelottarosie mentioned as well being a sunday there probably wasnt many people boarding the train from that station........in that case there may not have been many people on the train at all....therefore if she was a very noticeable woman someone should have seen her...... (I always check out everyone on trains etc...especially at night if feeling a bit scared_......

The only thing that is pointing to her being on or getting a train is the vendor at the Union Station.......maybe she got a lift to that station for her connecting train???????

I wonder if the police located the passengers that boarded from Centralia??? this would definitely confirm if she was at the station......

If the vendor was mistaken then I really would be looking into the friend and her boyfriend and what happened on the weekend, rather than wasting time with was she/wasnt she on the train or at the station........

I wonder if she had a fair amount of money on her......

The only other possibility is have they searched around the station area......I hope this does not upset anyone but wholelottarosie said something about a jail being close.....would inmates finishing their sentences travel by train back to where they came from?????

 

[Chili Fries]

One more thing...it looks like JW and her boyfriend got engaged in late November.

 

[pufnstuf]

Are the children hers or her step-children? Are the two oldest hers and the youngest a step-child? They haven't been married that long and the kids have different last names. Not that matters but everything is so confusing and the family dynamic is part of the story.

The friend's story is fishy however, looking at her wall on facebook I think she is devastated. I just would like to hear a press conference and get some clarification on the bad reporting. I am not man-hating however I was married to an attorney...

They are all her children.

I believe that they are Scott's step children--at least the two older ones are.

Beth has only been married to Scott for five years.

 

[radiant]

ok....now a few things are becoming a bit clearer....

First of all it was a Vendor at Union station that thought they saw her.....I thought it may have been Centralia.......ok.......

And as per above post the police are now saying that the friend just dropped her off at the station NOT saw her actually board the train....

As wholelottarosie mentioned as well being a sunday there probably wasnt many people boarding the train from that station........in that case there may not have been many people on the train at all....therefore if she was a very noticeable woman someone should have seen her...... (I always check out everyone on trains etc...especially at night if feeling a bit scared_......

The only thing that is pointing to her being on or getting a train is the vendor at the Union Station.......maybe she got a lift to that station for her connecting train???????

I wonder if the police located the passengers that boarded from Centralia??? this would definitely confirm if she was at the station......

If the vendor was mistaken then I really would be looking into the friend and her boyfriend and what happened on the weekend, rather than wasting time with was she/wasnt she on the train or at the station........

I wonder if she had a fair amount of money on her......

The only other possibility is have they searched around the station area......I hope this does not upset anyone but wholelottarosie said something about a jail being close.....would inmates finishing their sentences travel by train back to where they came from?????

Yes, it was a vendor at Union Station that someone spoke to when they were putting up flyers in Chicago last Thursday. I don't know who it was who discovered this info exactly. Keep in mind I am fairly sure J was on this trip to help out. Could've come from her for all I know. Sorry to think that way, but I trust few people.

J has stated that she did not wait for Beth to board the train.

It would definitely have been more desolate on a Sunday night, and I agree this would have made her stick out to be noticed by someone, that she was actually there.

I guess Centralia is a pretty remote station, no one has even said for sure that others were there boarding, though I would bet there were a few. I do know the conductor and passengers on the train were interviewed by police to see if any remebered Beth and they did not. I would imagine police would start with people who would have been boarding at that station.

Yes, Amtrak carries prisoners, I have seen it posted that the DOC puts recently released prisoners on Amtrak. If you look on Google Earth at the surrounding terrain around the train platform, there are golf courses, parks, greenery...

Would like to add that a prison is probably not releasing any inmates on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[radiant]

One more thing...it looks like JW and her boyfriend got engaged in late November.

Where is this info at? I did not know this.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/06/04/r_idiycdcasr6nuwv_ej2qw/index.xml

Created: Saturday, June 5, 2010 5:30 a.m. CDT
By BRIAN SLUPSKI - bslupski@nwherald.com

WOODSTOCK – Police have been unable to verify whether a missing Woodstock woman ever boarded an Amtrak train bound for Chicago.

Benedetta “Beth” Bentley, 41, has been missing since May 23. Bentley and a female friend traveled to the Centralia area May 20 in a rented car. Woodstock police have not publicly identified the friend, but said the friend told them that Bentley was taken to the Amtrak station.

 

[Chili Fries]

Where is this info at? I did not know this.

It's from her Facebook wall. I believe it was November 23rd 2009. You have to wade through all the Farmville posts and stuff like that to get to it.

 

[pufnstuf]

The Amtrak route she was to be on comes from Carbondale, IL, it doesn't go through St. Louis. Other stops would be like Mattoon, Champaign, further east in IL on it's way up to Chicago. Does that answer your question?

I do not know J personally. I understand she is a "longtime" friend of Beth, I do not know what the definition of "longtime" is here. Beth lived in CA for awhile. J is from CA. They may have even met out there. I just don't know that info. She is part of Beth's circle of friends who hang out together who are, on average, about 5 years younger. Beth and I are the same age and I do not know these people, neither from our past through school, or now.

Hi, Radiant! So glad you're here.

I noticed this as I looked through the photos. It seemed like J was never a part of your circle of friends, and that y'all were never a part of J's group.

It seemed like J is more on the "wild and crazy" side of things than Beth's other group of friends. As I was looking through J's facebook, it appeared to me that she was almost obsessed with Beth, as if J didn't have any other close friends.

I just find it exceptionally odd that J lawyered up so soon after Beth went missing. Is she helping you guys at all in your search for Beth?

Again, glad you're here.

 

[pufnstuf]

Radiant...

Is this J's boyfriend?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...67065&id=1478677016&ref=mf&fbid=1144977792817

 

[radiant]

Hi, Radiant! So glad you're here.

I noticed this as I looked through the photos. It seemed like J was never a part of your circle of friends, and that y'all were never a part of J's group.

It seemed like J is more on the "wild and crazy" side of things than Beth's other group of friends. As I was looking through J's facebook, it appeared to me that she was almost obsessed with Beth, as if J didn't have any other close friends.

I just find it exceptionally odd that J lawyered up so soon after Beth went missing. Is she helping you guys at all in your search for Beth?

Again, glad you're here.

Thanks very much for the welcome! I want Beth to be found so much right now.

I don't know J personally. I don't know any of Beth's friends personally really. They are younger and I don't hang out with any of them.

Perhaps I should elaborate. Beth was my best friend when were kids, from like first or second grade. We drifted apart when we got older for several reasons. We reconnected at various points throughout the years. I recently reconnected with Beth again after quite a long while. We had been communicating every few days or so, either by phone or email or FB, we were just looking for a day to fit into our schedules that we could get together and see one another in person again. We were both ecstatic to have reconnected. I am devastated that this has happened.

I think your assessment of J is probably accurate, she strikes me as that way also. I mean, considering her profile pic and the post about an ex shooting up her grandmother's house with 20 rounds on April 8. I know she did hang out with the greater group, there are photos of her...her hair color changes dramatically from dark reddish to the platinum blonde. If you saw the photos, you might miss her the first time. I've been looking through all of them, just wondering.

She probably has good reason to have "lawyered up." I do not know how actively she is working to find BEth. I believe she did go last Thursday to post flyers in Chicago with Beth's older sons and other friends.

 

[revampz]

Hi Radiant

I personally dont think she got on that train or station.....and I think a prisoner grabbing her is probably not likely.......

I think it incredibly suss that her close friend who she was suppose to be going home with originally did not wait with her for the train if the town they were staying in was 40 miles away.........

I think its time to search the boyfriends house.

 

[radiant]

Radiant...

Is this J's boyfriend?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...67065&id=1478677016&ref=mf&fbid=1144977792817

I really don't know, sorry.

 

[radiant]

Hi Radiant

I personally dont think she got on that train or station.....and I think a prisoner grabbing her is probably not likely.......

I think it incredibly suss that her close friend who she was suppose to be going home with originally did not wait with her for the train if the town they were staying in was 40 miles away.........

I think its time to search the boyfriends house.

Agree, agree, agree.

 

[radiant]

Brand new NW Herald article up this AM:

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/06/04/r_idiycdcasr6nuwv_ej2qw/index.xml

Info of interest: Scott Bentley said the last time he spoke to her was about 4 p.m. May 23.

 

[Chili Fries]

So that gave her about an hour and a half to decide to take the train. If that is true, and I have my doubts, I still think something had to precipitate it. The friend should be able to give a reason why she changed plans so quickly.

Also, I don't buy her being seen at Union Station. The train ride from Centralia to Chicago takes a while, it seems logical she would have called her husband in that time if she were on that train.

 

[eyes4crime]

I looked at the train schedule from Chicago - for the Union Pacific Northwest line. It makes no sense that she would have chosen this as an alternative to riding home with her friend.

IF the Amtrak train arrived in Chicago at 11 pm. (I did not check the train route to verify this- just took the times from the above info, only verified the train from Chicago to Woodstock). The two trains listed as leaving from Chicago :to Woodstock on a Sunday Evening (also the holiday schedule) leave at 8:30 pm and then not again until 12:30 am. So if she arrived in Chicago at 11pm, 1)It makes NO sense that she would wait for 1.5 hours for the next train out and 2) that she would not have called her DH and had him pick her up downtown at the train station.

The train which leaves Chicago at 12:30am arrives in Woodstock at 2:01 am. (If I am reading this right, which I think I am....... ) It is odd to think she'd wish to arrive at 2am.... and not inform her DH of this..

Here is a link to the Union Pacific link I am referring to.

http://metrarail.com/content/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/metra_system_map/up-nw/schedule.html?schedule-start=OTC&schedule-end=WOODSTOCK&schedule-day=up-nw_sunday-holiday&selectedTime=23%3A00&schedule-time=22%3A30&schedule-submit.x=73&schedule-submit.y=14


The train as an alternative that late in the day versus leaving the next morning based on the above route and times makes no sense at all.

Makes no sense at all Cubby - can't believe she was on any train at all. She is called a 'serial texter' and a serial caller - and she doesn't call her husband during the wait?

A vendor says he/she saw Beth? There was a Blackhawk playoff game Sunday the 23rd and I'm sure the station was crowded due to that huge event, even late at night. I can't believe anybody remembers seeing her at the station. moo