Renee Benson

Renee Katherine Benson is the daughter of Glenn Benson and Melena Pascale. She was 18 when she was killed. Described as bubbly, outgoing, and loving, Renee had a secret storm brewing just below the surface. A talented pianist, before her death she wrote and composed 15 songs, which she intended to present to her great-aunt, Talia Benson, to make an album.

Renee is described as the spitting image of her aunt Stacy, except with dark brown hair.

Early Life and Family (Birth - 17)
Renee was born to Glenn Benson and Melena Pascale, their only child, and lived with them in a New York penthouse most of her life. She is the granddaughter of Tim Benson, Katherine Theresette, Jack Scarlett and Miranda MacEwan, and the neice of David MacEwan and Penelope Scarlett. As a child, Renee is described as chubby and apple-cheeked, before loosing most of her weight in tenth grade. After which, her popularity skyrocketed, and her concerned parents, trying to control their daughter's new-found disobedience, moved to a mountain estate near Grey Gardens, and Renee was enrolled in Southern Queens Secondary School. Her best friend was Marilla Mitchell, and at age 17, she began an ill-fated relationship with Nathan June.

Death
Nathan was always protective over Renee, but they parted ways for University she and met smart, charming, and kind Sam Zelner, who loved her at first sight. Nathan became gradually more obsessive, and more violent when Renee wasn't avaliable to be with him. He began beating her. Renee, on the outside, seemed happy and well-adjusted, yet carried burdensome low self-esteem, and craved approval from everybody around her, and stayed, and came to rely on the cycle of violence in her life, knowing that after the beatings, he would beg for forgiveness. Eventually, Marilla noticed a lagre bruise of Renee's arm, and became Renee confided in Marilla and Sam. Marilla urged her friend to escape, but Renee insisted that she was in love. After presuasion, Renee gave in, and with Sam, went to her and Nathan's apartment to get her things.

Nathan came home early, and took out a gun, and shot Sam. Renee, terrifed, attempted to escape the building, but Nathan shot her in the lobby's fountian, before shooting himself in the back of the head.

Aftermath
The story of Renee's death was greatly covered by the media, causing great emotional pain to her family and Marilla. Marilla, upon hearing the news, dropped out of school (she intended to be a biologist), and enrolled into the police academy. The families of both Sam and Renee created an advertising campagian to encourage battered women to tell somebody, before it's too late, including a commerical featuring Jack Scarlett and Miranda MacEwan, which Annabelle Manning credited as saving her life.

Renee's adopted cousin, Emily Callahan, found Renee's 15 song set, and featured turned them into a tribute album, Renee. It sold triple-platininum, and also included a recording of Renee herself playing and singing, which was made by Marilla.

Her other cousin, Elena MacEwan, with help from Evan Zachary, holds a yearly benifet concert for RAINN in her honour.