Man accused of murder and dumping body in landfill appears in court
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus man charged with murder and taking a woman’s body to a landfill in southwest Ohio made his first court appearance Monday.
On March 9, Gene Scott, 46, of Columbus, was arrested for allegedly murdering Renee Benedetti. Monday morning, Scott appeared in court virtually and was issued a $1 million bond as well as being ordered to stay away from the Benedetti family.
According to a complaint filed with Franklin County Municipal Court, Scott and Benedetti, who were believed to be in a romantic relationship, were arguing on Jan. 29 when Scott began choking her. Benedetti died at their apartment on Arbor Village Drive in Clintonville near Morse Road. Scott then reportedly wrapped her up in a rug and later disposed of her at the landfill.
Benedetti’s body was found by law enforcement agencies on March 8 at a Rumpke landfill in Georgetown, Ohio. The waste disposal site is around 50 miles east of Cincinnati, and 105 miles away from Columbus.
Scott was also the subject of a federal investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who implied in court documents that he had been a suspect in Benedetti’s murder since Feb. 8. When searching his home for evidence related to her disappearance, police found a .22-caliber rifle with no serial number.
Because Scott is a convicted felon, prosecutors filed charges against him for illegal possession in the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio.
Authorities said they found Scott in Kentucky 18 hours after the missing person’s report went out. They arrested him on that federal weapons charge and brought him back to Columbus. Benedetti’s body was found two and a half weeks later.