SALT LAKE CITY – Claudia Benn will be remembered by her family as a strong matriarch who was dedicated to serving others.
On July 10, 1998, her life ended much sooner than expected at the hands of a man the state of Utah was scheduled to execute for her murder.
Taberon Honie went to Benn’s house to visit his ex-girlfriend, who was Benn’s daughter. She helped her daughter by letting her stay overnight, and that evening Benn babysat her three grandchildren, including Honie’s two-year-old daughter.
Benn was only 49 when she died.
Despite the brutality behind her death, her family says they have done much to preserve her memory not through the manner of her death, but through her life.
None of the relatives responded to calls or messages from KSL investigators, but several spoke about the kind of woman Claudia was during Honie’s commutation hearing in July.
A sense of service
Claudia Benn was born on June 19, 1949, and grew up in Page, Arizona, according to her obituary published in Spectrum.
According to her family, Benn’s life was characterized by a strong sense of service and compassion. “My aunt just wanted to help,” said Sarah China, Benn’s niece, during Honie’s commutation hearing.
Benn married in 1969 and had three daughters. In the 1980s, she pursued higher education and earned an associate degree from Southern Utah State College in Cedar City before transferring to the University of Utah to study sociology. While in college, she worked at the Women’s Resource Center, assisting women with further education.
Professional achievements
Claudia’s professional career has included serving as a drug counselor for the Paiute Indian Tribe in Utah and as vice chair of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes.
“She was a doer and a leader,” her cousin Betsy China recalled during the commutation hearing.
Claudia was also known for her love for Tina Turner.
“And now they’re rocking together up there high above the sky,” said their niece China.
A devoted family member
Despite her many roles, Benn always put family first. She took in family members when they needed a place to stay. Sarah China lived with her aunt for a few years when her family was in trouble.
“She took care of me and taught me what was right and what was wrong,” she recalls.
Another niece, Trevia Wall, testified that Benn “taught me to be proud of who I am and where I come from. And to always know my worth.”
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