American Monster is examing the murder of Gary Bentley, who was shot dead as he slept in his bed by his wife, Tasha Bentley, at their rural home in Campbellsburg, Kentucky.
In December 2017, Tasha Bentley contacted her father-in-law, claiming she felt uncomfortable going into her home; she asked him if he wouldn’t mind checking it out.
When he went inside, he found his 33-year-old son, Gary, had been shot in the back of the head as he lay in bed.
The police became suspicious that Tasha may have killed her husband. She initially denied any involvement in his death, claiming they were robbed. She pointed to the 20 guns that had been removed from the gun safe as evidence of a home invasion.
However, during the interview process, the police slowly got to the truth. Tasha eventually admitted to shooting her husband with her personal firearm, a silver Ruger with purple grips.
She also admitted to taking the guns out of the safe and staging the crime scene to look like a robbery.
Tasha Bentley alleged Gary Bentley had abused her and son
The killer claimed that Gary had been abusive to her and their four-year-old son. She cited an incident on the day of the murder, claiming Gary had assaulted the boy by “throwing him in his bed and hitting the wall.” She also said Gary had kicked her.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelAt the time, Kentucky State Police Detective Endre Samu told the press, “She’s making the claim that she may have been abused, but I don’t have any knowledge of that yet.”
The son was taken to a children’s hospital for examination, and the cops later stated they had found no evidence of abuse.
Tasha was eventually charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence.
The police also added drug trafficking to the charges after they found multiple jars of marijuana and seeds at the home.
Tasha Bentley was sentenced to 55 years.
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American Monster airs Sundays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.
I did time with her in Oldham County Detention Center in 2019 and 2021. She showed no remorse whatsoever.