Chapter 7: Joey...According to Others

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This is Missing a Touchdown Season one, Chapter seven, Joey. According to others, the following is a text message verbatim which I sent to Joey Benton's phone quote, Hi, Joey, this is Casey's co producer for our podcast, and I wanted to reach out again and ask if you would consider being interviewed for the podcast. So much as being said about you around you for you, but none of it comes from you, and I wanted to give you the opportunity to address anything you want. I can send over questions for you to approve ahead of time. I encourage all my guests to record our sessions as well for their peace of mind. We can do a phone interview for convenience if you wish, or I have an office in Springfield Square at small Town Startup. I'm not asking any questions about March twenty fifth, two thousand and four. I want to know about you, your childhood, your small town experience, your friendships, your love with Jennifer, how Adriana adored you, what your life has been like since they disappeared. Casey and I talked, and we want to tell everyone's story and tell it fairly. End quote, no reply. I had to sit on what I was going to do next for a while. I didn't want to hurt anybody's reputation, career, relationships, or life. And I know the podcasts are known to dive deep into who people are. But Joey didn't reply, He didn't give his consent to being involved in this project. And then one day, behind the scenes, Casey calls me and she shares with me that now we have confirmation from inside the Benton family that we are no longer looking for the girls alive. We now believe that we are searching for their remains to bring home the remains of Jennifer, the remains a baby Adriana, and I got upset. For twenty years, Joey Benton has held on with a firm grip to the narrative he put out into the world that he dropped the girls off at the Exxon station. And now I was sitting in my house listening to Casey tell me in detail what and how we know and what we know, and that the girls never made it to the gas station, and I made a decision. It didn't matter if Joey didn't willingly become involved in this podcast. He involved himself twenty years ago when he was promising a life to Jennifer. He involved himself twenty years ago when he knowingly allowed a little two year old girl named Adriana to become attached to him, to trust him, to love him. My decision was this, tell the story. Tell the story as involved, as respectful, but as truthful as I could, because Jennifer and Adriana Wikes never got to have a say and how their lives ended no matter who was responsible. The truth we choose to believe is this, someone in that Benton home knows how Jennifer and Adriana died on March twenty fifth, two thousand and four, and someone in that home went to great lengths to make sure nobody outside of those four walls would ever know. But they didn't account for the dogged pursuit of Jennifer's family to bring her and her baby home. When I taught high school English, we would build a character chart based upon what people said about and to the character you. So often someone can be figured out by watching the way others react around them. When people die, we tend to say how special that person was, focus on their accolades, celebrate their strengths. But Jennifer's family has never pretended that she was perfect. In fact, Casey says, Jennifer was absolutely not perfect. She made some poor choices. She made some impulsive choices. She didn't always light up a room or look happy. She was real and her family loved her as she was. But what Jennifer wasn't was mean. She wasn't malicious, she wasn't abusive, and from what I've heard about Jennifer, she would have done anything in her power to protect her little girl, and she absolutely wasn't going to go down without a fight. Now, I do not believe we can even truly scratch the surface on someone's identity without knowing them in some degree. We need to know their upbringing, their bonded relationships, their experiences, their successes, their failures, their traumas, etc. Everything that someone has gone through has you know shaped who they are. It's true for me, it's true for you listening. And since we cannot get close enough for the podcast to tell Joey's story, all we can do is tell it in relation to Jennifer, because after this, this is a story for Jennifer and Adriana. And Jennifer loved Joey. She did. Jennifer loved you, Joey. If you're listening, Jennifer truly loved you Joey. Adriana truly loved you Joey, and you were the last known person to see her alive. So let's share what we know about Joey. According to others, Joey is the youngest child to parents Cynthia Binkley and Joseph Frank Benton. Now it does at times get confusing, as they are two individuals in the household that go by joe But to clear any confusion, Joey Jennifer's fiance will always be Joey in this podcast. And as I battle what is ethical and podcast journaling in regards to how much to share about Joey in his life, I go back to the foundations of my company and the Audio House LLC. When I form that company, I put one question down in front of me that I always want to ask. Am I helping the case or hurting the case? And this is currently an active case going on in the background. I will not be diving into any speculation about Joey's childhood of possible or not possible trauma, abuse, mental health suspicions, or anything else. So this chapter will be strictly based on need to know facts. When we have to remember that unless we leave an open mind, women being closed off to any other possible leads this case will take us. As I am sure many people are wondering at this point, Jules, do you think Joey killed Jennifer and Adriana into that? I say, it doesn't matter what I think, so no, I will never say on this podcast whether or not I believe Joey killed the girls. Do I believe Joey knows where the girls' remains are? Yes? Oh yes I do and I can't And I will back up that claim in the last episode of this podcast with the help of our fierce Wicks warrior, Casey and co producer on this podcast. And if I may be bold enough to say this out loud on a nationally published podcast, it is my opinion, after fifteen months of intense research that Jennifer and Adriana Wicks never left the Benton property alive, full stop. I cannot and will not share my own theories. All I will do right now is present the information we have, and then I'll invite the conversations. That's what we have to do, is get everybody talking. What we don't want to do is insighte vigil anties. This podcast's purpose is to get the conversation started and get it so loud that justice cannot be drowned out any longer in a town. Who is now shouting for answers, so let's keep going. Joey has an older sister named Amy. Joe. Here's a childhood front of Amy sharing about what it was like sleeping over at the Benton household when they were young kids. My involvement was that I went to school with Amy Joe in fourth grade and I would spend the night at the house. And it's just really weird things that would happen over there at that time that I didn't think of as a fourth grader, but now that I'm forty something that it's just really not right. Well, we'd get to the house, like after school, I lived down the road from her, and the parents to like my parents were all. Like, you know, real nice and everything, but once they were alone away from like my mom and dad and stuff. And we were at their house a kind of weird. Standof fish sort of. And I can't remember the mama's name, I just called her Miss Benton. She would immediately take us from in the house. We'd go through the kitchen, walk down a long hallway, go straight to Amy and Joe's room and she'd shut the door and lock it from the outside interestine mm hm, And so you know, we'd be in there, and of course Amy's room was next to the graveyard, and we'd talk about who's gonna sleep on one side of bed, that sort of. Thing girls would do at that time. And I would just ask her. I'd be like, can I go to the bathroom? And she'd say, well, we have to knock on the door, and mom would come and take us to the bathroom. What like That was a typical thing for Amy. That wasn't odd to her. Yeah, No, she seemed like it was just a totally normal thing. And Joey would be in his room and like they had those little latch latches from the outside, like on a screen door, from the outside of the door to like. The little thing, I can't think of it, the little you know, part around the door, and they'd latch it. They'd lock us in our rooms, and they'd locked Joey in his room, and so like Amy would have to go up to the door and she knock like three times, and the mama would come to the. Door, open it up and say, what do y'all need? And I'd be like, I have to go to the restroom, and so she would walk me to the bathroom and shut the door and lock it from the outside. It's just really screwed up. What, Yeah, you had to knock to get out of the bathroom. I had to knock to get out of the bathroom. And then it was that must like. You were in jail, and you'd have to go out of the bathroom and then take a left and go down the hall straight back to Amy's room, and she'd shut us in there and she'd say, I'll bring y'all some drinks and a snack in about fifteen minute. Child should be fine. I would ask Amy. I was like, why are they locking us in here? You know, why can't we go to the den and watch TV or something. And she'd say, well, they just want to keep us away from dad. Mom wants to just keep us away from dad. I don't know at that point, as a fourth grader, I was like, oh, okay, you know, maybe he's just not. In a good mood today. But she'd come back and she'd. Have like kool aid and it used to be ding dongs came in a silver wrapper and. She'd open the door, and it would be in a little bob, not. Like on a plate or on a little TV tray or something. For us. It was like a little hardbore box. And she'd say, when y'all are finished with this, just set it on the inside the door, inside the room, and I'll come and check on y'all in thirty minutes and bring y'all dinner. And she blocked the door back. And then when I found out later. That she was so drugs and messed up and went to a mental place and whatnot, I was like, Okay, something is must have been happening while I was not at the house my SHO was growing up. Don't go anywhere, We'll be right back. Six one five real Estate Advisors People overprofit. Six one five real Estate Advisors are committed to bringing people in our community home every single day. This includes Ennifer and Adriana Wicks, located in Robertson County, Tennessee. Six one five real Estate Advisors proudly serve all of Middle Tennessee. Andy B's boutique custom tees for all your needs, creating faith, pet and family friendly designs for all. Visit shopandybees dot com for an exclusive Jennifer and Adriana Wick shirt. Andy Be's boutique will donate profits from each Wick shirt back to the Wicks family to fight for justice. That website is Shop andybes A and d i bs dot com. Don't go anywhere, We'll be right back. Six one five real Estate Advisors People over Profit six one five real estate advisors are committed to bringing people in our community home every single day. This includes Jennifer and Adriana Wicks and Robertson County, Tennessee. Six one five real Estate Advisors proudly serve all of Middle Tennessee. Andybe's boutique custom tees for all your needs, creating faithpet and family friendly designs for all. Visit shopandybees dot com for an exclusive Jennifer and Adriana wickshirt. Andy Be's boutique will donate profits from each Wick shirt back to the Wicks family to fight for justice. That website is shop andybes A and d i bs dot com. In the Shadows of the City, a business missed a crucial chance, neglecting the power of captivating content. While others captured hearts. Their story remained hidden. But you can rewrite your story relive Studio transforms your brand with striking photos and video content. Visit www Dot relive dot studio, Mention this ad and receive free photos with your video package. Unlock the story your brand deserves. Hometown Connect your local list. Hometown Connect your ultimate list, bringing communities together through small town business connections. They're your go to app for all things Middle Tennessee. They empowered local businesses and promote the shop local revolution through advanced technology, while never sacrificing online privacy with innovative Bluetooth, proximity marketing, direct customer messaging, and in app marketing tools. They're your ultimate local list. Hometown Connect. In the shadows of the city, a business missed a crucial chance, neglecting the power of captivating content while others captured hearts. Their story remained hidden, but you can rewrite your story. Relive Studio transforms your brand with striking photos and video content. Visit www Dot reliv dot studio, Mention this ad and receive free photos with your video package. Unlock the story your brand deserves. Hometown Connect your local list. Hometown Connect your ultimate list, bringing communities together through small town business connections. They're your go to app for all things Middle Tennessee. They empower local businesses and promote the shop local revolution through advanced technology, while never sacrificing online privacy. With innovative Bluetooth, proximity marketing, direct customer messaging, and in app marketing tools, They're your ultimate local list hometown connect. In a police report with the Robertson County Sheriff's Office, it's documented that Kathy stated how Joey Benton's parents seldom let Joey out of their sight and do things on his own. I don't know the extent of this, but it appears to align with the things we've heard. Joey grew up in Robertson County, Tennessee, where his home address is in the city of Springfield, but it's just a few roads away from cross Plains, and cross Plains is where the small town high School of East Robertson is. And this is the same high school that Jennifer went to for ninth and tenth grade, the same one that Joey graduated from. Joey was a few years older than his former friend CC Collins. When we were asking around the community for any friends or any former friends of Joey, Benten's to come forward and talk to us. TC collins name continued to pop up. Casey reached out to him and asked if he would consider coming onto our podcast. After thoughtful consideration, he said yes. One of TC's main motivating factors for coming on the podcast was to clear his name. Throughout the years since the girls went missing, there have been numerous rumors, and, according to TC, allegations that he knew or was involved with what happened to Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. The following excerpts from my two and a half hour sit down conversation with TC. What I think you'll find especially interesting is that TC came into Joey's life as a best friend less than a month after the girls disappeared. Yes, they had known each other and seen each other around, but it wasn't until Jennifer and Adriana disappeared and TC went through a devastating heartbreak that the two became close. Take a listen. I am Thomas Collins. I grew up in Cross Plains, Tennessee, and everybody knows me as TC Collins. I only actually spent about a year of my life hanging out with Joey and that started about a month to the day after the girls came up missing. But the first time I hung out with and now I knew who he wasn't and and you know, from around town, I heard his name a couple of times, but I, for whatever reason, it never clicked that he was the one that everybody was talking about. It was his girlfriend and her kid that was missing. Never occurred to me, but my girlfriend at the time, after we left hanging out that very first time, she said, you know who that was, right? So, well, yes, joe she said, you know, you know he's the one with the missing girlfriend and kid. And it floored. I was like, you're kidding. And so. After that it just it was I mean, I hate to get into big time story time or anything, but this is just how it happened beginning. And then. Me and her actually broke up within that next week or two, and so Joey called me for something. However, it was we hooked up, and we kind of struck up a friendship. I, like I said, had hung out with him once before I even knew and and he made an impression on me. You know, it just seemed like, you know, a cool dude. He was in sports I was. And then after the fact, whenever we hung out and it was just us, we found that we had in common that we were both going through a tough time, you know, with his being with Jennifer and adriannimiss and mind being with having that breakup, because it was my first real breakup. I was a kid. I was like eighteen years old, so you know, it was it was a bigger deal than it sounds like. I mean, it was. We were both pretty pathetic that's time. But I never did I didn't spend a whole lot of time around his mom and dad. But the times that I spent around him, Miss Cindy was always just sweet and. Nice to me. I did not. Ever in my life meet Jennifer or Adriana, and I didn't know that Joey had a girlfriend until after the fact, you know. And the first time me and the ex girlfriend went and hung out that was I want to say April twenty fourth or fifty. It was almost to the day a month, so it was just, you know, a coincidence. But I guess, I really I cannot understand why people think that if he did something that he would told anybody lit on me we had only known each other for a couple of months, you know. I mean he had other friends you know too, in particular, but that were there honestly and had been for years. They were all cronies. My main objective is that if there's anything I can say about my experience there that will help's case and get those girls found, that's what needs to happen. I want more than anything for these girls to be found. It would I lose sleep over it now because it runs through my mind constantly that if I had just not been so naive, maybe if I wasn't so lonely then needs a friend so bad just like he did that maybe I had been maybe I'd have paid more attention to things that would have been helpful. But I did not want to believe that my friend or his family were capable of something like this, because it's terrific. I mean, it's a baby even in never mind you know the mother, you know what I mean? Just maybe alone is enough to make me feel like I mean, I just I don't know how people anybody's capable of, you know, Honestly, I did not have a reason. I knew in the back of my mind I had to be careful about making assumptions or pre assumptions because me and him were compatible, and I liked him and I needed a friend, and I knew that, you know, I'm smart, and I've gotten wherewith all know that, you know. But I didn't see anything that told me that these people were killers or that there was a motive. But I will say it is I don't know why they've asked me so many questions over the years, because in the past maybe month or two, I found out more about in a front Agerana in the case and the Venton's in that whole time period right before I came around then, I have ever known, never witnessed him. Do a search or even. Participate in event or a search, and I definitely never witnessed him try to call her. Actually, I guess in twenty years, this the first time I've ever really put that one together. I never really did see him try to find him. I mean, I know, you know it's been said, you know you're not helping, doing anything to help, but no, Actually, to my knowledge, I never once seen him take any initiative. But now, at the same time, what I was, you know, my friend of mine then was well, you know, that they broke up and he said he was done, period, didn't mourner around. It's crazy. You know where I'm from, small town, and it's funny how everybody talks until it makes the difference. I talk because I'm not scared. I'm going to tell what I have to say, period. I'm not afraid. And the thing is, they. Everybody I've asked a million times, what is my motive for not telling? Everybody knows I didn't know Joey then you know, I just happened to meet him like a month later. I mean, not meet met, but it was the first time we ever spoke one on one. Please understand I'm one hundred percent different persons today than I was then. Yeah, I wanted to put a stot to it because there's a couple of things I need to say. I might get arrested for it, but I'm gonna have to say it. This part's important, and this is what I want people to know because I haven't been allowed to say it in twenty years, and I'm tired of them telling me what Canny can't say. It's censorship. I understand not hindering an investigation, but I gave these folks information twenty years ago that they've done nothing with, Like the TBI told me not to tell Robertson County or anybody else anything because they were flubbing the investigation as was. Robertson County told me not to tell the TVI or anybody else because it was their investigation. I witnessed the man one time in the year that I knew him, cry crocodile tears one night telling me this story. It's hard for me to believe that he put on a show like that was Joey, didn't have a flair for the dramatic at all, and tears to me coming from him, He's in pain one way or the other. And so. I, in my personal opinion, I believe it knows something. I just don't believe that he had the heart to do anything to either of them girls, but. Helping cover it up. This is all speculation. I don't know, and I've not been told that. I mean, I was told something, but it was like later, you know, he told me it was a lie in TBI and Robertson County couldn't do anything. Well, okay, I'll tell you the details. And he came to me a couple couple weeks later and said, well, that story I told you wasn't true. I told you that just because there were so many rumors going around at the time, and I had and I made that one up, and I wanted to see if it got back to me, to see if I could trust you. Sounds good, but it sounds now that I'm almost a forty year old man, like a crocer stuff. It's now sounding very convenient. But what if I told that story to somebody and that that was if I only told the one person and it just happened to be the right person, that that was the thing that caused the problem. In a case like that, they want somebody to blame. You know, I couldn't take that chance. I mean, still not willing to take that chance. But I'm willing to do everything that I can do to help this family. But what I want people to know is that I have not been allowed to. You know this is this was the thing that I kept getting for a solid at least five to seven years. It was constant, constant. Message is constant. You know, I see somebody sees me at the story. They got to stop me. Just tell me how screwed up it is that I would, you know, help defend the murder and this, and that it's like I've always done exactly what I'm doing now. I tell the truth best my ability. My opinion has changed a little. But back then, if somebody asked me if I thought they did it, I said, I would say if he did, he didn't tell me, and he's doing a real good job hoting, I said, but no, I don't believe that he did. And I still don't. I I believe that the. I believe it'd be more feasible to think that something happened and he got put into the middle of it by family members or somebody that he cared about. And you know, because. After seeing him, you know, cry that night, and after telling the story he told me, you know, it just appeared to me that. It was either. He did something accidentally or he didn't do anything at all. And he was crying because he was number one, absolutely going to be screwed for being involved. But the people that he was protecting are people you can't not protect. Honestly, I mean, what do you do if it's if it happened allegedly to be your mother and father. You know, I've asked myself that a million times. What would I do if if if my mom and dad, you know, a totally different situations, totally different people. But but but if that didn't it happened, you know, what would I What would I do, you know if if something like that happened. But I still am holding on to hope that they are innocent. But I'm not holding on very much, you know. I just I think it's more pride and ego telling me that I was so naive that I missed something that big, because now I feel like I should have asked more questions, I should have paid more attention. But like I said, I did not want to know. I you know, Plausible deniability. The duplicity of Joey. The side that others saw who was patient with Adriana, kind to Adriana, and loved Adriana. The side of Joey who wanted to become a family with Jennifer. The side of Joey who handbuilt and carved a wooden rocking horse for Adriana, one that was still there in the party bar when TC became friends with Joey after the girls was disappearance. He handmade rocking horse that he made for Adriana. That was like one of the first things that I saw when I came in. I think, oh, cool rocking horse. You know. It was a nice little rocking horse. And he said, yeah, I built that for Adriana. She never even got to sit on it. I want to say he didn't burn it or anything. I but I'm not saying he didn't. I just I know that a law of the wood, those around there got burned. You know, we have bonfire and the same spot every night for like three months. When we look at single incidents like the time Joey brought out a gun and threatened to harm Jennifer and Adrianna back in the fall of two thousand and three, it's just that an incident. However, what we want to make sure is that this isn't a pattern of behavior, and unfortunately I do believe it is. But then there's that other side of Joey, the Joey who appeared to struggle with drug addiction, who had police reports filed on him by other girlfriends for his aggressive behavior. I say all this to say, how could a family who knows this history be so shocked When people start to wonder if they had anything to do with the disappearance of two girls who were living on their own property. But then again, if the girls' remains were on the property, when it couldaverdogs be able to find them? What if I told you that three different cadaver dogs with three different handlers hit on one spot in the woods on the bent and property. Next time on the smash. Thank you to our episode sponsors Prater Industrial Services providing complete piping construction on the industrial level and honest air heating and cooling honest, fast, reliable. Missing in Hushtown was executive produced and written by Me your Host Jewles with Anlee Audio House LLC. Casey Robinson was co producer. Special thanks to John Thorpe, Patrick Robinson, my parents and Jen Rivera, and to our children. To follow our continued efforts on Justice for Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. You can find us on Facebook at Justice for Jennifer and Adriana Wicks. This page is personally managed by Casey herself and you can find me Jewles Hi on Instagram at your Host Jewles. Notes and updates can be found on our website www dot Missing in Hushtown dot com. Please help us continue to grow by considering leaving a five star review and rating wherever you're listening. If you have a tip for this case, please please call one eight hundred TBI find help us bring the Wicks girls home. To donate to this family's continued fight for justice, please visit GoFundMe dot com slash Jennifer and Adriana Wicks and to support the podcast and to help us continue this production, you may click support the show in the show notes and donate a wis Kiss. Ten percent of all profits from season one I'm Missing in Hushtown will be given to the Wicks family indefinitely. As always, You're wanted, you are loved, and you deserve to be found. Don't you forget it. I'll see you next time. Hey guysid is Ryan. I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm a bit of a fun fanatic when I can. I like to work, but I like fun too, And now I can tell you about my favorite place to have fun, Chumba Casino. 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