Man Will Spend 40 Years in Prison
Anthony M. Bennett, the 21-year-old Mount Pleasant man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of 4-year-old Carnel Chamberlain, was sentenced on May 22, 2014 to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington.
Bennett, who is a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, was initially charged with first degree murder. However, courtesy of a plea agreement, his charge was adjusted to second degree murder, with a prison sentence of 35 to 40 years, 5 years of supervision following his release, and a fine of $250,000. In exchange for his plea, the prosecution also agreed to dismiss 6 other charges against him, which included assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, assault within special maritime or territorial jurisdiction, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to court records, on June 21 of 2012, Bennett was left alone with 4-year-old Carnel, while Jaimee Chamberlain, who is Carnel’s mother and Bennett’s girlfriend, went to work. During that time, Bennett beat Carnel to death and then attempted to burn his body in the fireplace to conceal the signs of child abuse. He buried the partially burned body under the front porch of their home on the reservation.
That same day, Bennett reported Carnel missing. Police searched for a week before finding his body, having spent the bulk of their search time focused on wooded areas and other parts of the reservation. On June 28th, 2012, police found Carnel’s body in a shallow grave under the front porch.
The day after Carnel’s body was found, police charged Bennett in a federal criminal complaint, namely assault resulting in substantial bodily harm, which detailed the reported physical abuse of the child prior to his death. It was only later, while incarcerated for the child abuse charges, that Bennett was once again charged, this time with murder.
During the sentencing, Judge Ludington stated, “Carnel’s loss is the result of a heinous and barbarous act.” However, he also criticized the community that Bennett was raised in, pointing out that while “Mr. Bennett is responsible for taking Carnel’s life,… other people are responsible for Mr. Bennett’s upbringing.” This comment was made in reference to the information shared at trial by Bennett’s lawyer about the terribly abusive home that Bennett was raised in.
Bennett will begin his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute in Milan, Michigan.