Tulsa World: Bite-mark evidence leads to murder charge

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Bite-mark evidence leads to murder charge

David Lee Benson Jr.

By MATT BARNARD World Staff Writer
Published: 5/19/2009 10:41 PM
Last Modified: 5/19/2009 11:59 PM

Bite-mark evidence from a nearly year-old slaying has led to a first-degree murder charge against a Tulsa man.

Prosecutors filed the felony charge Tuesday against David Lee Benson Jr. in the June 22, 2008, stabbing of Mark Grace, 44.

Authorities were searching for Benson, 27, on Tuesday afternoon, Sgt. Mike Huff said. He was still at large that night, according to the Tulsa Jail’s inmate log.

Grace was breaking up a fight between a friend and another man outside a residence near 67th Street and Utica Avenue about 2 a.m. when he was attacked by one of the men, police said.

A police affidavit filed in the case says Grace and Jerome Crawford had gone to a park in the 6700 block of South Utica to try to find Crawford’s girlfriend, Katie Welch.

They found her talking to a woman who was in a parked vehicle there, the affidavit says.

When they attempted to get Welch to leave with them, a man “ran from a nearby apartment in an aggressive manner and started yelling “Why are you messing with my (women)?” the document says Crawford told police.

A fight ensued between Crawford and the man, and while the man was on top of Crawford, Crawford bit him on both sides of his face, the affidavit says.

Grace grabbed the man from behind and pulled him off his friend in an attempt to stop the fight, the document says. The man then told Grace, “I got something for your white ass,” and ran back to the apartment, Crawford told police.

The man then ran back toward Grace as he was trying to get to his vehicle, the affidavit says. Crawford ran in the other direction, and when he returned, he found that Grace had been stabbed.

A medical examiner’s report says he was stabbed seven times in the back, chest and neck.

In July, police learned that the people who had been living in the apartment had moved to the Open World Apartments at 5500 S. Lewis Ave. A homicide detective located Benson there and saw what appeared to be bite-mark scars on both sides of his face, the affidavit says.

A search warrant allowed them to take pictures of the scars on Benson’s face.

Dr. Bryan Chrz, a forensic odentologist, compared impressions of Crawford’s teeth to the bite pattern in the pictures and determined that they were consistent, the affidavit says.

Detectives also determined that the tread pattern on Benson’s shoes was consistent with footprints found at the homicide scene, according to the affidavit.

Huff wouldn’t discuss the investigation in detail but called the bite marks “a great piece of physical evidence” that tied Benson to the slaying.

Court documents describe Benson as a black man with black hair and brown eyes. He weighs about 160 pounds and is 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Benson received a seven-year prison term in December 2000 for feloniously pointing a firearm, Department of Correction records show.

About a month after the stabbing, he was convicted of possessing a controlled substance and was given a suspended sentence, records indicate.

Anyone with information on Benson’s whereabouts can call or text-message Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS or e-mail police at tulsaworld.com/crimestoppersemail. The Crime Commission offers rewards for information leading to arrests, and tipsters can remain anonymous.

By MATT BARNARD World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment imightbewrong, tulsa (5/20/2009 12:42:56 AM) Why find him????? Some snobby, look down his nose, idealistic, bleeding heart will just give him a suspended sentence or maybe atmost make him promise to not do it again. Dang liberals need to understand that there are actually BAD people out there and they will ALWAYS be bad no matter how much government aide and handouts you give them.
	Report Comment Bullhead, Nicut (5/20/2009 2:43:56 AM) He'll be in trouble again. All they have to do it wait. And with marks like those, they should recognize him easily.
	Report Comment concernedpapa, Kiefer (5/20/2009 5:24:34 AM) I dont think mistakes are only made by liberals.
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, Small Country Town State Line (5/20/2009 5:42:37 PM) Find him and then hide him 6 foot under ground.
	Report Comment Mr. Brown, Fallon, Nevada (5/20/2009 8:11:35 PM) I hope none of my friends would just run off and leave me to get stabbed to death. That's pathetic.
	Report Comment G, Joplin (5/20/2009 9:36:23 PM) Echos, I am a relative of the murder victim and I would really love to know where you heard that they have found him. We have been praying for this for almost a year now. All we know is that ther is a warrant out for his arrest & now thanks to the news, so does he. okie ridgerunner, I think you are the same okie I blogged with after the murder first happened. If you are, I owe you an apologie. I jumped to the wrong conclusion when I THOUGHT someone had said something about Marks mother. I had read so many horrible things blaming the victim, his family etc. I was in such a haze of greif I am sure that is not the only stupid thing I said, anyway I am sorry.
	Report Comment indian, (5/22/2009 10:57:21 PM) There were other comments on this blog does anyone know if they only show so many and then do they automatically get kicked off?
	Report Comment SoulzzzZe, (6/25/2009 12:05:11 PM) I pray and i believe cause my faith is strough, God show yourself now in all parties. Rain your healing...Today i can see everything clearly now. Cause and effect in the pass bought me here today. Peace, Love and understanding, God i give you all yesterday. Love, peace and understanding prayer goes out to all families,friends and stangers that effected from this cause. Now God move this mountain and let your healing water come through.

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