Allen Frankland Bennett

Richland County Sheriff's Department — Columbia, SC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch June 20, 1953

Age 25

Tour of Duty 3 mo

The Vigil Panel 89 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Allen Bennett disappeared while chasing a bootlegger in a wooded area near the State Park Intersection off of Highway 21. He had stopped at another deputy's home to ask the other deputy to assist him but the deputy was not home. He left the deputy's house and was never seen again. His body was found in the woods several days later. A suspect was arrested on July 20, 1954, near Wilson, North Carolina. He was convicted of his murder and was released after serving 20 years. Deputy Bennett was a WWII U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Richland County Sheriff's Department for 3 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and 4-year-old son, his father, three brothers, and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-9CA5F7B5
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Allen is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Bennett served with the Richland County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Columbia community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Richland County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Columbia, Richland County, SC

Platform Identity rcso.richland.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 20, 1953

Tour of Duty 3 mo

Age 25

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Allen Frankland Bennett served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Allen Frankland Bennett is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In SC, 271 of 440 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.6% of this state's fallen. That is 61.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Richland County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.

Richland County Sheriff's Department

of 7 officers

28.6% Felonious

SC — Statewide

271

of 440 officers

61.6% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious