'Very hard to keep moving forward ': No arrests, charges 4 years after Surrey father's murder
“I feel so bad for Paul. He deserved so much better.” Those are the words of Surrey widow Darlene Bennett, still grieving the murder of her husband four years ago in what police have said was a case of mistaken identity.
It was June 23, 2018 when Paul Bennett, the father of two young boys, was gunned down in the driveway of his home.
“We were there. The boys saw Paul. I did CPR on Paul,” said Darlene.
“The kids should still have him. They should still have their dad. They need him and he’s not there,” Darlene said, explaining that the horror of what happened is still emotionally crushing.
“My brain still will take me to that day and it’s very difficult to stop. And I wish it would.”
Paul Bennett, a nurse and volunteer hockey coach, was not the intended target on that tragic day.
“Why? I still can’t wrap my head around that, mistaken identity….You can take someone’s life and it’s not even the right person?” she said.
“It makes me very angry, and it makes me sad because I don’t want this to happen to other people and it does…No one needs to go through this. No one.”Paul and Darlene Bennett are shown in a family photo.
Video surveillance captured just before the shooting showed a car pull up and a dark figure run from the passenger side and then return a short time later. Police will not say if the car was ever located.
No one has ever been charged in the murder.
“I can only keep that hope that there’s answers one day,” Darlene said.
“It’s very hard to keep moving forward when you keep feeling like there’s something still waiting to hit you, like unfinished business and you just wonder when it’s going to drop,” she explained.
Darlene Bennett looks at a photo of her husband Paul who was killed in the driveway of their Surrey home in 2018. No one has been charged with the killing.
The Integrated Homicide Investigations Team declined an interview, saying it could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.
“I understand that the public is looking for answers as is Darlene Bennett and her family/friends. There has been comparisons with the timelines on this file versus others. All I can say is that investigations are unique and timelines are not an indication of solvability or complexity,” wrote a spokesperson in an email.
Meanwhile, Darlene said she and her boys had to move from their family home as it was a constant reminder of the killing.
Paul Bennett is shown in an undated photo released by IHIT.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.