Former NFL player, wife shot dead allegedly by their 22-year-old son arrested in Mexico: Officials

Authorities in Mexico have arrested the 22-year-old son of a former NFL player and his wife after they were shot and killed in their home.

Barry Bennett, 63, and Carol Bennett, 63, were found dead in their rural Long Prairie, Minnesota, home on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Todd County Sheriff’s Office.

Barry Bennett was found lying in the entryway of the home, shot in the head and torso, according to the probable cause statement.

His wife’s body was on the kitchen floor, shot in back and torso, according to the probable cause statement.

Todd County Sheriffs Office

The Bennetts’ son, Dylan John Bennett, who also lived at the family home, is the suspect in the slayings, which authorities believe took place Monday, according to documents.

Dylan Bennett called the Todd County Sheriff Steve Och, said he was aware he was being searched for and announced his intention to turn himself in to the FBI. Before the sheriff could relay that information though, Bennett was taken into custody at a hotel in Cancun, Mexico, just before noon local time by Mexican authorities.

He will be transferred back to Minnesota by the FBI in the coming days, according to the sheriff’s office.

Barry Bennett had reported to the sheriff’s office in December 2018 that Dylan Bennett, “while in a mental health treatment facility, had expressed homicidal thoughts about killing his parents,” the probable cause statement said.

Barry Bennett, a defensive lineman, started with the NFL in 1978, playing for the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets before a brief time with the Minnesota Vikings, according to The Star Tribune.

Todd County Minnesota Sheriff

Authorities say Dylan Bennett first made a large cash withdrawal from his parents’ account at a Long Prairie bank on Monday, according to documents. Carol Bennett’s debit and credit cards were used in Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the probable cause statement said.

“A plane ticket for Dylan Bennett was purchased and used” on Wednesday for flights from Columbus, Ohio, to Atlanta to Cancun, Mexico, the document said.

Dylan Bennett met someone in the Columbus area before the flight and gave that person a handgun “to hold for him,” according to the probable cause statement

Based on a review of phone records, authorities believed Dylan Bennett was in Mexico, the probable cause statement said.

Wilbur Funches/AP, FILE

The Minnesota Vikings tweeted Friday: “We are saddened by the tragic loss of former Vikings player Barry Bennett and his wife, Carol. Our thoughts are with their friends and family during this difficult time.”

In Long Prairie, about 130 miles northwest of Minneapolis, residents are mourning the Bennetts.

The former NFL player was very involved in the Long Prairie community, Jon Kringen, superintendent of Long Prairie Grey Eagle Public Schools, told ABC News.

Wilbur Funches/AP, FILE

Barry Bennett taught physical education for over 10 years and retired a few years ago, Kringen said.

“He loved the kids that he had in class, and the kids really loved Barry,” Kringen said, calling him the kind of “teacher that I think every parent would want their kid to have.”

“The school district is mourning,” Kringen said. “We are incredibly saddened by these tragic events.”