Bennett Family Drops Suit Against Apartment Owner

RALEIGH, N.C. — The father of a woman killed in her north Raleigh apartment in 2002 on Monday dropped his lawsuit against the apartment complex.

Carmon Bennett asked that his lawsuit against Equity Residential be dismissed, according to Charles Bentley, Bennett's attorney. No reason was given for the move, which came after three days of testimony.

Bennett has a year to refile the suit, and Bentley said they likely would resubmit the case for a new trial.

Stephanie Bennett, 23, was found raped and strangled in her apartment near Lake Lynn on May 21, 2002. Drew Planten was charged with the slaying in October 2005 but committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial.

Carmon Bennett sued Equity Residential, which owns the Bridgeport Apartments complex, claiming that the windows didn't lock properly in his daughter's apartment.

The suit also contended that shrubbery around the apartment building was too high and that there was inadequate lighting. Both factors allowed the assailant to hide and prowl outside the apartment, the suit alleged.

A few weeks before Stephanie Bennett's murder, two tenants told the complex and Raleigh police that they saw a peeping Tom looking through Bennett's window.