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Son charged in deaths of ex-NFL player, wife in Long Prairie

Ex-NFL lineman Barry Bennett and his wife were identified as the couple found dead in Long Prairie on Wednesday.

LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. — An ex-NFL player and his wife have been found dead in their Long Prairie home, and now their son is charged with their murders.

A warrant was issued for Dylan John Bennett, 22, on Friday. He is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Barry Martin Bennett and Carol Ann Bennett, both 63.

Credit: Todd County Sheriff's Office
Dylan John Bennett

The two were found Wednesday inside their rural Long Prairie home after a friend went to the house on a welfare check.

"We're very much in shock," said Harley Hanson, a longtime friend of the Bennetts. "It's a wonderful community couple, that have had an impact on a lot of lives and are gone in an instant."

According to the criminal complaint, Barry was lying in the entryway and Carol was on the kitchen floor, both apparently dead from gunshot wounds. Inspectors found 9 mm shell casings and an empty magazine.

Barry Bennett played 11 seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings.

Credit: AP Photo/Wilbur Funches
New York Jets' Barry Bennett (78) blocks Cincinnati Bengals' Jim Breech's (3) game winning field goal attempt and then watches the Jets' Rich Miano pick up the ball in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Nov. 30, 1987 at Giants Stadium, N.J.

RELATED: 2 found dead near Long Prairie, suspect sought

A vehicle owned by Carol was found to be missing, and Dylan John Bennett's vehicle was found on the scene. According to the complaint, police learned that Barry Bennett had reported in December of 2018 that his son, Dylan Bennett, had expressed homicidal thoughts about killing his parents while in a mental health treatment facility.

The complaint also says that Carol's debit and credit cards were used in Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio on Aug. 19, 20 and 21. A large sum of cash was withdrawn from Barry and Carol's account by Dylan Bennett on Aug. 19, and a plane ticket for Dylan Bennett was purchased and used to go to Cancun, Mexico on Aug. 21, according to the complaint.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Dylan John Bennett. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

"I'm praying for the family and the kids," Hanson said. "I'm praying for Dylan that he will see the truth in Jesus and turn himself in."

The FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force are assisting in the investigation.

The Midwest Medical Examiner has ruled cause of the deaths gunshot wounds, and the manner of death homicide.

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