Oconee Mother, Children, Found In Idaho

Officials with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office report a local mother and her four girls have been located in Idaho. Sheriff’s Spokesman Jimmy Watt says Idaho State Police located 44 year-old Laverne Bennett and her daughters at an interstate rest area in the town of Coeur d’Alene, near the Idaho/Washington state line. The Oconee Sheriff’s Department was notified of the development around 10:00 AM Saturday, though it’s not clear when Idaho police located them. Watt says Bennett is in custody in Idaho and will be extradited next week to South Carolina, where she faces four counts of custodial interference. Oconee County Deputies obtained warrants against Bennett on Wednesday charging her with failing to return each minor female child to the father, Bruce L. Bennett who has primary custody of the children. There is no word on when the Bennett children, 10 year-old Lillian Marie, 9 year-old Minnie May Blanche, 8 year-old Carolina Amaryles, and 6 year-old Emily Grace, will be reunited with their father.