FORT PIERCE, Fla. —
Otto Lenke, a former Melbourne police officer and Indian River County firefighter, has been sentenced to death for the 2021 murder of Richard Benson, a bike shop owner in Fort Pierce.
Assistant State Attorney Brandon White, who prosecuted the case, called the sentence justice.
“The jury got it right,” White said. “This was probably one of the most heinous crimes in the history of our circuit. It was all caught on camera. It was well planned out.”
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors showed the jury security video from inside the bike shop.
They said the video showed Lenke not just killing Benson but torturing him.
“He tormented him and basically made Richard’s life a living hell, those last two minutes of his life by pouring that accelerant on him and lighting him on fire,” White said.
White stated that jealousy was the motive behind the murder, as Benson had started dating a woman Lenke previously dated.
White said because he was a former police officer, Lenke thought he knew how he could get away with murder.
“The defendant used his 20-plus years of experience in law enforcement to plan this attack, to carry out this attack,” White said.
Benson’s family, who appeared via Zoom from out of state, was not present in the courtroom as the judge sentenced Lenke to death.
“I think this is something they wanted for Rich. This was justice,” White said.
The case is not yet concluded, as Florida law requires the state Supreme Court to review all death sentences.
Lenke is also expected to appeal the decision.
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