TRENTON SCOTT - 4 yo/ Accused: William Hedden - Candler (W of Asheville) NC

Arrest Made In Child's Death

Child May Have Been Beaten, Deputies Say

CANDLER, N.C. -- Buncombe County deputies said they've arrested a man in the death
of a 4-year-old boy at 6 Mervine Street in Candler.Officials said
William Godfrey Hedden is charged with first-degree murder.The
boy was found dead at 6 Mervine St. after deputies were asked to come
to the home by an ambulance that had been dispatched to the location
after a 911 call, investigators said. They said the boy's mother is the
person who called 911.Deputies said that when they arrived, they
found a dead boy who appeared to have suffered from blunt-force trauma.
They said that the boy's mother and a man were at the home at the time
when deputies responded.A judge denied bond for Hedden,
based on the nature of the charge against him.The boy was not immediately identified.

William Hedden

http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/27596835/detail.html

District Attorney Ron Moore said Wednesday he would seek the death
penalty for a Candler man charged with murder in the beating death of a
4-year-old boy.William Godfrey Hedden, 24, of Sams Branch Road,
made a first appearance in Buncombe County District Court.Judge
Patricia Young agreed to Hedden’s request for a court-appointed lawyer
and set May 5 at the date for a probable cause hearing.Hedden
is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Trenton Scott, who
Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan said succumbed to blunt force trauma
inside his home on Mervine Street in Hilltop Mobile Home Park.The
boy’s mother, 29-year-old Heather Denise Scott, called 911 shortly
after 6 a.m. Tuesday to report that she woke up and found her son dead.
She told a dispatcher the child appeared to have been beaten.
Moore informed Young at Wednesday’s hearing he intended to seek the death penalty.
Hedden’s crime “qualifies under the statute,” the district attorney said.North
Carolina general statutes list 11 possible aggravating factors that
jurors can consider in deciding whether a defendant should receive the
death penalty following a first-degree murder conviction. These include
the crime being especially heinous, atrocious or cruel; the defendant
had previously been convicted of a violent felony: and that the crime
was part of a course of conduct that included other violent crimes.At
least one of those factors must be present for a prosecutor to seek
death. Moore declined to say what aggravating factors are present in
Hedden’s case.Duncan said that only Hedden, Scott and the
boy were present in the mobile home before the child’s death. Hedden was
charged Tuesday night after he and Scott were questioned by
investigators at the Sheriff’s Office.Hedden was convicted
in April 2010 of misdemeanor larceny, received a suspended sentence and
put on 12 months of probation, according to N.C. Department of Correction records.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110420/NEWS01/110420025/District-attorney-seek-death-penalty-Candler-child-s-slaying-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|p

Relatives of a murdered child memorialize the little boy with a
fundraiser to help the family, and draw attention to the problem of
child abuse.

Buncombe County deputies say Trenton Scott died after he was beaten to death last Tuesday.

William Hedden is in jail charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Trenton Scott's great-aunt Jody Reagan, her daughter and friends,
are busy making bright blue ribbons in memory of the little boy.

Regan is selling the ribbons for a dollar each at her restaurant, the Harmony Cafe in the Biltmore Square Mall.

She says the family can use a helping hand, and she's working to
prevent the tragedy of child abuse that took the life of her
great-nephew.

Neighbors of the little boy in a mobile home park in Candler have
put up a memorial with flowers and toys at the trailer where deputies
found him dead.

They say it's their way of showing support for the family during the tragedy.

http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wlos_vid_4336.shtml

Bump

A memorial service for a slain toddler will be private.The
family is attempting to find privacy in the glare of the high-profile
murder of the 4-year-old, said Jennifer Myers, a friend of Trenton's
father, Justin Scott.For that reason a Saturday evening memorial service will be reserved for family and friends, Myers said.“It will be a celebration of Trenton's life,” she said.A
casket would not be at that service, Myers said. She declined to say
when the actual burial will be or if it is open to the public. A
Saturday obituary notice gave no details of a funeral.The
family had been concerned about being able to pay for the funeral and
had set up a fund. But friends and Asheville Area Alternative Funeral
and Cremation Services have agreed to cover the cost, Myers said.“This
tragedy hit so close to home that it is a blessing to see how many
people without knowing Trent or the family just genuinely care,” she
said.The boy loved to be outside, “especially playing baseball, fishing, skateboarding and riding his Spiderman bike,” she said.Myers said Trenton had trouble with a knee that would often pop out of joint, but it rarely stopped him.“He was always smiling,” she said.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110501/NEWS/305010077/Service-for-slain-Asheville-area-boy-to-be-private?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

Top Stories - Friends of Will Hedden



Friends turn out to show support for the family of a man accused of murder.
Will Hedden is charged with first degree murder in the beating death of four-year-old Trenton Scott last month.
The court continued Hedden's probable cause hearing scheduled this afternoon.
He was not in the courtroom, which was a disappointment to his friends who wanted to see him.
They say they're shocked he could be accused of such a brutal crime, and wanted him to know they're supporting him and his family.

More warrants in beating death of Asheville-area child released

8:54 AM, May. 4, 2011

ASHEVILLE — A fourth search warrant in the beating death of 4-year-old Trenton Scott was released Tuesday.

William Godfrey Hedden, 24, of Sams Branch Road, is charged with first degree murder in the case.

The Police Department searched the home where Scott lived with his mother, Heather Benson, and where the crime occurred. During the search, authorities confiscated bed sheets, a syringe with needle, beer bottles, liquor bottles, a glass pipe, a plastic bag with marijuana residue, prescription pill bottles and other items.

Other warrants released in the case document bite marks and bruises on Scott's body and document child erotica found at Hedden's home.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110504/NEWS01/110504013/More-warrants-beating-death-Asheville-area-child-released?odyssey=obinsite

Warrant: child erotica found in home of Asheville-area man charged in child's death


8:41 AM, Apr. 28, 2011


CANDLER — Four pages of child erotica were found in the home of a man charged with the murder of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son, according to a search warrant.

Investigators seized the items, along with a box cutter, handwritten note, Petsmart card, a composition on “Business Law”, notebooks and phones, from the home of William Godfrey Emanuel Hedden on Sams Branch Road in Candler.

Hedden is charged with the first-degree murder in the death of Trenton Scott. He is being held in the Buncombe County jail without bond. District Attorney Ron Moore has said he will seek the death penalty in the case.
In the search warrant, investigators also noted that a Facebook account with Hedden’s picture lists guns and beer as interests, along with a television show where people engage in violent, physical attacks on other people.
The warrant states that neighbors reported hearing a vehicle door shut in the early morning hours of April 19 at the home on Mervine Street where the boy was found dead early that same morning.
Hedden’s black pickup truck was parked at the home when officers arrived on the scene. “Vehicles are often used in the transmission or transportation of evidence to and from different locations and/or crime scenes,” the warrant states.
Hedden’s girlfriend and Scott’s mother, Heather Benson, called 911 about 6 a.m. April 19 and said she had found her son dead in their home in Hilltop Mobile Home Park on Mervine Street in Candler.

Authorities responding to the call discovered “visible bruises about the deceased child’s body”. They also found “wounds on the child’s body which appear to be consistent with human bite marks on the child’s buttocks, back and chest”.

Investigators had a licensed dentist take a dental impression of Hedden’s teeth, according to previously obtained warrants.

A DNA sample was also taken from Hedden. During an interview with Hedden, investigators “observed that he had what appeared to be blood droplets on his right shoulder which had spread down his shoulder and arm and was initially covered by his clothing”.

They also noticed that Hedden’s skin had a “red discoloration” that possibly resembled blood.

Deputies seized the clothing and took samples of Hedden’s blood and sweat.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110428/NEWS01/110428017

Obituary
Trenton Scott
Trenton

Michael Scott

Candler - Trenton Michael Scott, 4, born December 8th, 2006 went to be with the Lord on April 19, 2011.

Survived by his father, Justin Scott; his mother, Heather Benson; Gram and Grandpa Denise and Bradd Scott; Nana, Judy Benson; Papaw, Alvin Reagan; aunts and uncles, Jason Scott, Adam and Tara Diaz, and Kristy Benson; cousins, Asa Scott, Jacob and Dylan Diaz, and Hailey Cochran. Trenton has many other great aunts, uncles, and cousins who adored him.

We have been devastated by his death. He impacted everyone around him with his joyfulness. He was an exceedingly happy and bubbly little man. Justin recalls just sitting watching a game on TV (any game), and Trenton would jump in his lap and watch the entire game with his daddy. He was an excellent cuddler!

Trenton loved to be outside, especially playing baseball, fishing, skateboarding and riding his Spiderman bike. He loved the outdoors period!

Trenton was the ultimate wrestling champion. He called his daddy every day, always with "Guess what I'm doing?", and his answer was always "watching wrestling" or "playing wrestling on my Wii". He was a big fan of John Cena.

Trenton had a knee that would occasionally "pop out"; he would pop it back in and go about his activities. He couldn't be stopped. He persevered, persisted, he was absolutely wonderful.

His loss has been felt by all who knew him. He was always smiling, and we feel him with us even now in stories we relate about a 4 year old boy who impacted us all beyond measure.

Knowing that Trenton is with the Lord, bringing joy to our Father, gives us peace. His joy is our joy.

We love you Trenton, you are a blessing and a gift. See you in eternity buddy.

Our family can't express in words how grateful we are for the out-pouring of support from the community. The Scott/Reagan family encourages everyone to leave condolences at www.ashevilleareaalternative.com. We are blessed to have these folks caring for our family in this difficult time.

Published in the Asheville Citizen-Times on May 2, 2011

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/citizen-times/obituary.aspx?n=trenton-scott&pid=150732743

Slain Candler boy's family releases statement
April 24, 2011
Written by
STAFF REPORTS

ASHEVILLE — Statement by Kristy Benson and Tara Diaz, sisters of Heather Benson and aunts of Trent Scott:

“We are writing this on behalf of our sister, who is understandably not able to write such a letter after suffering the most tragic loss someone could suffer. Her son, our nephew, was such a loving, happy, sweet boy. He loved to play with his cousins. They would run around and chase each other or go on missions and have the most fun. He loved baseball, football and wrestling. He was going to start karate this summer and was so excited about learning how to break a board. Trent loved playing outside with his mommy, playing in the floor with her, but most of all cuddling with her.

“Our family will always remember his smiling face and his big hugs. We will always cherish the time we had with Trent and will always wish we had more time with him.

“We would like to thank everyone who has prayed for us. Your support and kind words are greatly appreciated and have touched us a great deal. God Bless.”

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110424/NEWS01/110424001/1347/NEWS07/Slain-Candler-boy-s-family-releases-statement

Warrants reveal bite marks on slain 4-year-old from Candler
April 26, 2011
Death of child in Candler: Buncombe Sheriff's officers investigate the death of a child at Hilltop Mobile Home Park in Candler, with comments from neighbors and Sheriff Van Duncan. April 19, 2011 (Sabian Warren, AC-T)
Written by
James Shea

ASHEVILLE – Numerous human bite marks on the body of a 4-year-old child found beaten to death led investigators to request dental impressions of the suspect in his killing, according to search warrants returned Monday.

William Godfrey Hedden is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Trenton Scott. He is being held in the county jail without bond. Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore has said he will seek the death penalty in the case.

Heather Benson called 911 about 6 a.m. April 19 and said she had found her son dead in their home in Hilltop Mobile Home Park on Mervine Street in Candler.

Authorities responding to the call discovered “visible bruises about the deceased child's body.” They also found “wounds on the child's body which appear to be consistent with human bite marks on the child's buttocks, back and chest.”

The child's mother and Hedden, Benson's boyfriend, were the only people in the residence when the crime occurred, according to the warrants.

Investigators had a licensed dentist take a dental impression. The warrants did not say whether the bite marks on the child matched Hedden's impression.

A DNA sample was also taken from Hedden. During an interview with Hedden, investigators “observed that he had what appeared to be blood droplets on his right shoulder which had spread down his shoulder and arm and was initially covered by his clothing.”

They also noticed that Hedden's skin had a “red discoloration” that possibly resembled blood. Deputies seized the clothing and took samples of Hedden's blood and sweat.

Hedden had a criminal record before Trenton's death. In April 2010, Hedden was convicted of misdemeanor larceny, according to N.C. Department of Correction records. He received a suspended sentence and was put on probation for 12 months.

The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office did not return a call seeking comment. Friends of Trenton's mother and father said the family is not commenting on the case.

A third search warrant in the case has not been released.



http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110426/NEWS/304260029/1347/NEWS07

Asheville warrants: Bite marks present on slain 4-year-old
April 25, 2011
Written by
James Shea

Numerous human bite marks on the body of an Asheville-area 4-year-old child found beaten to death led investigators to request dental impressions of his accused killer, according to search warrants returned today.

William Godfrey Hedden is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Trenton Scott.

He is being held in the county jail without bond. Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore said he will seek the death penalty in the case.

Heather Benson called 911 about 6 a.m. last Tuesday and said she had found her son dead in their home.

Authorities responding to the call discovered Scott’s body with “visible bruises about the deceased child’s body.”

Authorities also found “wounds on the child’s body which appear to be consistent with human bite marks on the child’s buttocks, back and chest.”

The child’s mother and Hedden, Benson’s boyfriend, were the only people in the residence when the crime occurred, according to the warrants.

Investigators had a licensed dentist take a dental impression. It was not clear from the warrants if the bite marks on the child matched Hedden’s impression.

See Tuesday's Citizen-Times and CITIZEN-TIMES.com for more on this developing story.


http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110425/NEWS01/110425042/1347/NEWS07

Asheville area boy's slaying crushes family
April 24, 2011

Written by Clarke Morrison
To contribute in memory of Trenton Scott, checks can be written to Lesley Litaker/Shriners Hospital, 1819 Abbotsford Court, Gastonia, NC, 28056.


Heather Benson's son was her world.

The single mother loved cuddling and tussling on the floor with Trent, described by family and friends as a sweet, vibrant boy who almost never complained.

The 4-year-old was her only child.

Now, Benson is struggling with unbearable grief as she deals with funeral preparations for Trenton Scott, who Buncombe County deputies say was beaten to death Tuesday at the hands of a Candler man.

“Her whole life revolved around Trent,” Benson's sister, Tara Diaz, said Saturday. “She is destroyed by what happened.”

Authorities charged William Godfrey Hedden, 24, of Sams Branch Road, with first-degree murder in the child's slaying. District Attorney Ron Moore said he will seek the death penalty.

Benson, 29, called 911 shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday and reported that she woke up and found her son dead inside their residence on Mervine Street in Hilltop Mobile Home Park.

“Oh my God,” the sobbing woman told a dispatcher. “He looks like he's been beaten to death.”

Sheriff Van Duncan said only Hedden, Benson and the boy were in the mobile home before his death.

Diaz said her sister had no warning her son might be harmed.

“She had no idea (Hedden) was capable of this,” Diaz said. “He had never shown any violence toward her or Trent or anyone else they knew.”

Hedden and Benson were friends who met at PetSmart in Asheville, where they both worked, said close family friend Lesley Cox Litaker.

“I know she wouldn't have put her child in danger for any reason,” Litaker said. “Nothing had given her a red flag (Hedden) would do anything.”

Benson grew up with her two older sisters and mother in the Arden area, attending Valley Springs Middle and Roberson High. Diaz said the family is extremely close. They spent time together at the beach the weekend before Trent was killed.

“My mom, Trent's Nana, along with the rest of our family, will never be the same again because of that monster,” she said.

Without her son, Benson has lost all sense of purpose, said Litaker, who grew up with the sisters. She said she doesn't believe Benson will ever return to the home where her son died.

“She lived to take care of Trent,” Litaker said. “They did everything together. She's just absolutely torn apart.

“He was such a sweet boy, so active, so vibrant. His smile just lit up the room. He was very happy all the time. It's so unfair.”

At the family's request, Litaker is accepting donations in memory of Trent that will go to Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville, S.C., where the boy was treated regularly for a birth defect involving his leg.

“This way the money can help other children get better,” she said. “And his memory will live on in a very positive way.

“I wish I could just make it a bad dream. I can't imagine anything on this earth worse than what they're going through.”

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110424/NEWS/304240054/1347/NEWS07

Bandit, thank you so much for updating this tragic story.

Happy to do it -- too bad there are so many stories like this. :-(

mermaid55 wrote:More warrants in beating death of Asheville-area child released

8:54 AM, May. 4, 2011

ASHEVILLE — A fourth search warrant in the beating death of 4-year-old Trenton Scott was released Tuesday.

William Godfrey Hedden, 24, of Sams Branch Road, is charged with first degree murder in the case.

The Police Department searched the home where Scott lived with his mother, Heather Benson, and where the crime occurred. During the search, authorities confiscated bed sheets, a syringe with needle, beer bottles, liquor bottles, a glass pipe, a plastic bag with marijuana residue, prescription pill bottles and other items.

Other warrants released in the case document bite marks and bruises on Scott's body and document child erotica found at Hedden's home.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110504/NEWS01/110504013/More-warrants-beating-death-Asheville-area-child-released?odyssey=obinsite

Bumping this post as it's the latest and we need to keep the posts chronological.

http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/showthread.php?45740-4-Year-Old-Trenton-Scott-Was-Beaten-To-Death-William-Hedden-24-Arrested
This site has a really cute picture of Trenton.

When 4-year-old Trenton Michael Scott was beaten to death in his mother's
mobile home here in April, two families fell apart.Both of Trenton's estranged parents
want justice. But they are divided, each handling the intense emotions in a different way.
The chasm between them is so wide, they had separate memorial and graveside services for the child.They
are in agreement that the killer should pay — either with his life or
with his soul and suffering. But they disagree on whether Trenton should
be called an abused child.Accused
in Trenton's death is William Godfrey Hedden, 24, a man whose Facebook
pages list his interests as guns, beer and violent TV shows.On
the eve of Trenton's slaying, April 18, Hedden was staying with friend
and PetSmart co-worker Heather Benson, Trenton's mother.The next morning,
a Tuesday, Benson called 911 shortly after 6 a.m. to report that she woke up
and found her son dead.“Oh my God,” she told a dispatcher. “He looks like he's been beaten to death.”Hedden
is charged with first-degree murder in the boy's death, and District
Attorney Ron Moore said he would seek the death penalty.Trenton's mother,
grandmother and relatives on Benson's side of the family insist he wasn't
an abused child.They say Trenton was cherished.“At
the Benson house, they are taking the death hard,” said Judy Benson,
Trenton's grandmother. The Bensons maintain Trenton was not abused but
suffered an unexpected one-time fatal beating.Trenton's
father, Justin Scott, 27, and his best friend, 30-year-old coworker
Jennifer Myers, are taking the death equally hard. Both believe Trenton
qualified as an “abused child,” and they are trying to make a difference
through volunteering and testimony.They
are partnering with Asheville-based Child Abuse Prevention Services to
go into schools and daycare centers to spread the word about Trenton and
how to prevent future tragedies.This is how they deal with the enormous grief.During
an interview with the Citizen-Times, Scott held up an 8- by 10-inch
portrait of his son in vivid color. He pointed to a red mark under the
child's eye and what he believes is a healing bruise across his nose.
The picture was made at Trenton's day care — Eliada Child Development —
shortly before he died.Scott assumed the mark was just the normal boo-boo
children get but now wishes he had checked up on his son.According
to Tracey McCrain, director of the center, “There were no signs of
child abuse whatsoever. We worked closely with both parents, and there
was just love between them all for Trenton.”She said Trenton was “full of life
and sweet as could be.” He loved being outside, doing anything.“He was just a
joy, and his eyes lit up whenever either parent came to get him,” McCrain said.

The case so far

William Hedden, of Sams Branch Road, now lives in the Buncombe County jail,
held without bond. Neither the assistant DA on his case, Chris Hess, nor
his lawyer, Robert Campbell, would issue a public comment.From
the Hilltop Mobile Home Park residence where Trenton lived with his
mother, police confiscated bed sheets, a syringe with a needle, beer and
liquor bottles, a glass pipe, a plastic bag with marijuana residue,
prescription bottles and other items, according to a search warrant.Other
warrants have documented the marks and bruises all over the boy's body,
possibly including bite marks, and what was described as four pages of
child erotica found at Hedden's home.DNA
samples were also taken from Hedden, who investigators said had what
appeared to be blood drops on his right shoulder, which had spread to
his arm.But many questions remain — most important: Why didn't Benson hear
anything the night her son was beaten?Scott has asked Benson about that night.
“She won't say much,” he said. “Just that she was asleep.”Another
question: How much did Benson know of this man who was, her mother
says, sleeping on her couch? A man charged with misdemeanor larceny in
April 2010. A man whose Facebook profile suggested a penchant for drugs
and violence.Judy
Benson said her daughter is not under investigation and is torn apart,
living in an undisclosed location and trying to heal enough to go back
to work. She could not be reached for this story.
“They were just friends,” she said of her daughter's relationship
with the accused killer. “She had no idea he was like that. She was just
as shocked as anybody.”Benson said her
daughter slept on one end of the trailer and her grandson on the other.
Heather Benson also kept a fan running in her room to drown out noise,
her mother said.“She was a great mother,” she said. “Some people have been so cruel.
“Nobody knew what went on in that mind of his (Hedden's).
Had she known, she wouldn't have had him around.”

The father's story

On the other side of the family divide is Trenton's father, who broke his
media silence to speak with the Citizen-Times in the company of his
friend Myers.Both wore blue ribbons, the color representing the fight
to stop child abuse and honor abuse victims.“They
are wanting to increase awareness of child abuse and do some
fundraising to honor Trenton and to help protect other children,” said
Bill McGuire, director of Asheville's Child Abuse Prevention Services.
“As a father and grandfather, I can't think of anything worse than the
death of a child.”Scott
and Benson met in 2000 when both worked at Toys R Us. They became a
couple a few years later and broke up in March 2010. They never married.While
they were together, Scott said, Benson was a “great mother.” Myers also
saw Benson in a mothering role and said, “I had complete respect for
her decisions as a mother.”“She
was always outside playing with him,” Scott said. “We played baseball
and watched it and wrestling on TV. He loved wrestling and video games.”
Both he and Benson agreed on disciplining their child with time outs. No spankings.
While Benson's mother claims Hedden and her daughter were just friends,
Scott's not buying it.“I believe he was her boyfriend,” he said.
“Neighbors told me he'd been living there for three months.”At
6:20 a.m. on April 19, Scott got a phone call from Benson, telling him
Justin was dead and it looked as if he had been beaten to death.
He said she seemed “moderately upset” on the phone and was crying but not hysterical.
When Scott arrived at the crime scene not long after that call, he found his ex and Hedden outside the tiny trailer.“William
had his hands folded, and she was already in her makeup because she was
on her way to work,” he said. “She thought at first something had just
happened to him in his sleep.”Scott
wants to see Hedden, if he's found guilty, get the death penalty, while
Myers isn't sure. Both want the perpetrator to pay to the fullest.In
the early stages of the couple's split last year, Scott said he had
joint custody of Trenton, keeping him two or three days a week. He
accuses Benson of not giving him time with his son in the last year of
his life.“By then it was barely twice a month,” he said.If
it weren't for his church, The River, and friends and family, Scott
said, he wouldn't be able to go on. “Nighttimes are the worst. That's
when I look at photos a lot and cry.”His new mission, with Myers,
o prevent and fight child abuse, is also helping him through the pain.
“Trenton died during Child Abuse Awareness month,
but child abuse occurs 12 months out of the year,” Myers said.

A message for parents

After Trenton's brutal death, Scott said everyone advised him not to view the
body. So he didn't. He chooses to remember what a special little kid
Trenton was when he was alive.“He was always smiling and kind-hearted,” he said.
“He was also sensitive to other kids,” Myers added.Scott
chose a pair of dark blue jeans, brown loafers, a blue hoodie and plaid
shirt for the boy to wear in his Carolina blue casket. They had the
funeral employees spike his hair with orange gel, just the way he loved
it.“We put his wrestling belt in there with him and a couple of stuffed animals,” Scott said.The
child is buried at Pisgah View Memorial Park in Candler. A colorful
cross made of race cars marks his grave until the bronze marker arrives.
On it will be crossed baseball bats and balls, along with these words:
“Fly High Sweet Angel,” and his dates of birth and death.Scott visits the gravesite almost daily.
About his ex, he just shakes his head. “She just got with the wrong person.”
This is part of their message in helping prevent child abuse:
Know who you're with. Don't just let anyone in your home.“If
kids are being abused, it's all of our duties to pay attention and
speak up,” Myers said. “Pay attention to who's living in your house.”
And children need to also speak up, and know there's an adult they can
talk to and trust, she said.

Accusations, memories

While Scott and Myers believe Trenton fit the definition of an abused child, Judy Benson disagrees.“My
grandson was not an abused child. Grant you that night he was murdered
he was, but to associate him with abused children” isn't accurate, she
said.Myers said whether a child is hit once or 50 times, it still constitutes child abuse.
Judy Benson said she was an active grandparent and saw Trenton at least
five days a week and never saw signs of abuse.Three days before his death,
the Benson family took Trenton on a trip to Myrtle Beach.“He
had the best time and was learning to stick his head under the water,”
Benson said. She also noted she would have seen any marks on the boy had
there been any.She
recently went back to work at Mountain Area Pediatrics. Hers is a
family in deep pain, she said, but “we have nothing to hide. … We
haven't done anything wrong.”One
of Heather Benson's best friends is Sarah Jennings, who will soon
complete her master's degree in music education. She teaches 550
children each week.She said Heather Benson is like a sister to her,
and she knew Trenton for most of his short years.“I
know children,” she said. “I know when they are having a bad day, when
they are excited about an upcoming event, when they are disappointed
about something, when they feel safe or unsafe, scared or fearless, when
they are cared for or could really use more attention at home.“Trenton
was always happy and full of life,” she said. “The relationship he and
his mother, Heather, shared was mesmerizing. … (Everyone) could see the
beautiful connection this mother and child shared.”She also said Benson
put her son first in all she did. “She was the best mother I have ever witnessed,” she said.After
Trenton's death, Jennings spent two weeks with Benson. She too believes
Trenton was not an “abused child,” but one “brutally murdered.”
“There was no abuse in Trenton's life that could have been stopped
in order to prevent this horrific tragedy,” she said.“If
Heather thought for one second that she or Trent's life would be
unsafe, or in the company of someone who could jeopardize their
beautiful life, he would not have been there,” Jennings said.Jennings
had a final message. “I don't want anymore heartache for anyone,” she
said. “We could all use a little light in our hearts right now.”
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110605/NEWS01/306050044/Child-s-beating-death-crushes-families

The victim: Trenton Scott

Coroner: 4-Year-Old Beaten To Death Was Legally Drunk
Boy Was Strangled, Beaten And Bitten
POSTED: 7:28 am EDT August 3, 2011

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. -- An autopsy shows a 4-year-old Buncombe County boy who was beaten to death earlier this year appears to have been legally drunk.

The autopsy showed that Trenton Michael Scott died from a cut to his liver caused by blows to his abdomen and chest.

The autopsy at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center also showed evidence that Trenton had been strangled, had eight broken ribs, a fractured skull, broken ribs, bite marks and cuts and bruises.

The boy also had a blood alcohol level of 0.12 percent. A reading 0.08 percent is the legal limit to drive in North Carolina.

The boyfriend of the child's mother, William Godfrey Hedden, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the boy's death.

The child was found dead by his mother on April 19. She called 911, and said the boy looked “beaten to death.” (Full Story)

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/28749676/detail.html#ixzz1U4Pi3g1N

Candler man arrested in child's death now facing child abuse charge

9:34 PM, Sep. 16, 2011

ASHEVILLE — A Candler man charged with killing a 4-year-old boy now faces a felony child abuse charge.

William Godfrey Hedden, 24, of Sams Branch Road, Candler, was indicted on the additional charge by a Buncombe County grand jury this week.

Hedden was arrested in April and charged with first-degree murder stemming from the death of Trenton Michael Scott. The child was found beaten to death the morning of April 19 in his mother’s Candler mobile home.

The grand jury indictment alleges Hedden assaulted Scott “on or about April 19,” using his hands and feet and causing serious injuries to the child, according to indictment.

“At the time defendant inflicted the injury, the defendant was supervising the child and providing care for the child as a friend of the child’s mother,” according to the indictment.

Lt. Randy Smart with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department said it’s not unusual for additional charges to be filed after an initial arrest.

The child’s mother called 911 the morning of April 19 and told dispatchers she woke up to find her son dead.

An autopsy later revealed the child died from a laceration to the liver caused by blunt force trauma to the abdomen and chest.

The autopsy also found evidence of ligature strangulation of his neck, eight broken ribs, a fractured skull, broken teeth, bite marks on his back and chest and numerous bruises and lacerations.

Assistant District Attorney Chris Hess said Friday he could not comment because the case is pending.

Hedden was scheduled for a first court appearance on the latest charges Friday, according to officials with the Buncombe County Clerk of Court.

The grand jury also indicted Hedden on the murder charge, according to court records.

That case is on the docket for Monday.

Keith Hanson, one of Hedden’s attorneys, declined to comment Friday.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/309170021/Child-abuse-charge-added-boy-s-death