Nice Home in a Bad Neighborhood-Good Job, Good Wife, Good Children, All Up in Smoke
Posted: Sunday, September 04, 2011
by Steve Kovacs
The Kovacs Perspective
Benny DeLoach recently took a manufacturing job making commercial ovens. Manufacturing jobs are hard to find in Cleveland, Ohio but he got the job and worked the morning shift that started at 6 a.m. At 40 years old, he relished his nice home that had plush green grass, a deck off the back of the house and a striking cast iron decorative fence. The home is in a somewhat “bad” neighborhood of Cleveland, called Hough, but there are much worse neighborhoods.
Benny kept his home sharp with mulched beds and children’s playground equipment in the back yard. Benny’s wife Daphne is a nurse and they share a young daughter. What a lucky daughter to have two responsible working homemakers caring for her. That is until early Friday morning. You see, Benny was getting ready to go to work at around 5:00 a.m., and before leaving, he was taking his garbage out to the curb. Daphne heard three shots cut through the silence of the early morning. She was afraid to go outside but she dialed 911.
The police showed up and found Benny dead, shot in the head. The police said they had no suspects and no motive. By all accounts, he did not do drugs and was not a partier. Neighbors say as for partying, he sat on his porch drinking beer and talking small talk with them—nothing more. One called him a “good dude”. Police call it another senseless act of violence. I differ with their statement. There is no such thing as a senseless, or an act of violence without a reason—they all make sense—crazy sense perhaps but some sense nevertheless. There are accidents but there is a reason for everything. Did Benny stumble upon a burglary or attempted auto theft possibly? He was found near his truck that he used to plow snow with. On the other hand, was he the victim of an attempted robbery?
I hope someone “drops a dime” on the perpetrator. Dropping a dime means, someone making a call to the police telling them what happened, and whom it happened by—who killed him. Rewards make people do that and sometimes when someone seemingly so innocent and as nice as Benny gets killed, even the criminal element get riled up enough to “drop a dime”.
This story caught my attention because I’ll be going to that neighborhood soon to visit a boxing club. The club is in a Salvation Army building operated by an old time legendary boxing trainer. A former professional boxer and new friend Rick Spain, who I have written about in the past (see link below) recommended I go there. I have been coaching a martial artist friend in the finer points of using his hands and he is now thinking about possibly becoming a professional boxer. Rick told me that the Hough area gym is the best place to learn the ropes, so to speak.
So, I’ll be going down there next week with Derrick my aspiring boxer friend. When I get to the neighborhood, I will not be able to forget a good man who worked hard, made a beautiful home for his wife and child, just wanted to breathe, smile and love, until some lost soul put a bullet into his head. There is no bringing Benny back. There is no bringing a daddy back, a husband, or a contributing member of society back. What a tragedy.
I’ll keep my eyes wide open when I go there next week but it seems more and more of our neighborhoods have what some people call senseless killings. Therefore, we must keep our eyes wide open almost everywhere we go—what a shame. Rest in peace Mr. Benny DeLoach.
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The police showed up and found Benny dead, shot in the head. The police said they had no suspects and no motive. By all accounts, he did not do drugs and was not a partier. Neighbors say as for partying, he sat on his porch drinking beer and talking small talk with them—nothing more. One called him a “good dude”. Police call it another senseless act of violence. I differ with their statement. There is no such thing as a senseless, or an act of violence without a reason—they all make sense—crazy sense perhaps but some sense nevertheless. There are accidents but there is a reason for everything. Did Benny stumble upon a burglary or attempted auto theft possibly? He was found near his truck that he used to plow snow with. On the other hand, was he the victim of an attempted robbery?
I hope someone “drops a dime” on the perpetrator. Dropping a dime means, someone making a call to the police telling them what happened, and whom it happened by—who killed him. Rewards make people do that and sometimes when someone seemingly so innocent and as nice as Benny gets killed, even the criminal element get riled up enough to “drop a dime”.
This story caught my attention because I’ll be going to that neighborhood soon to visit a boxing club. The club is in a Salvation Army building operated by an old time legendary boxing trainer. A former professional boxer and new friend Rick Spain, who I have written about in the past (see link below) recommended I go there. I have been coaching a martial artist friend in the finer points of using his hands and he is now thinking about possibly becoming a professional boxer. Rick told me that the Hough area gym is the best place to learn the ropes, so to speak.
So, I’ll be going down there next week with Derrick my aspiring boxer friend. When I get to the neighborhood, I will not be able to forget a good man who worked hard, made a beautiful home for his wife and child, just wanted to breathe, smile and love, until some lost soul put a bullet into his head. There is no bringing Benny back. There is no bringing a daddy back, a husband, or a contributing member of society back. What a tragedy.
I’ll keep my eyes wide open when I go there next week but it seems more and more of our neighborhoods have what some people call senseless killings. Therefore, we must keep our eyes wide open almost everywhere we go—what a shame. Rest in peace Mr. Benny DeLoach.
/swa640897-Mike-Tyson-And-Muhamad-Ali-The-Parking-Attendant-And-Regular-People-Who-Are.htm
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Sad article, Steve, but well said. It is so senseless. You must not only be 'wide awake,' but treasure every moment of every day.Treasure every moment--I'll remember that Nancy--thanks.
Steve
I would not use this excellent memorial as a sounding board, although I can't leave without at least saying that there is a price to be paid while earning the moniker "The Wild, Wild West!" Have fun in Cleveland, and remember sometimes a bulletproof vest is better than ducking.:-)Hi Dave
I'm guessin you are talking about some who have called the area--wild, wild west ( I never heard it called that until I checked on-line) you are one informed fella, as I know you to be on a host of topics. My campus where I teach is moving from downtown to a 'safe" suburb in two months. I used to be ready for anything while leaving at night--now I'll be bored walking to my car in the burbs. With my bad luck sometimes, some nut will pop a cap towards me out there!!!! I better keep my eyes open....
Thanks,
Steve
What a sad story, Steve. I agree with you about violence, it always has a reason. I think it must be so hard for Daphne and her child. My heart is with them.Can't imagine a young daughter without a father because of murder. And the wife...hard to believe some of this crap....
Thanks Jennifer,
Steve
Steve, I hope you come back with some good story to tell us. It is unfair to Mr Benny that the worst had befallen him.
Sad story.Hi Hilda,
Hopefully, one day there will be a good story for his family, but not for a while, I fear. As for a good story in general--Ill try and do something uplifting the next time--this one was sad...
SteveI had an art class with Benny, at Collinwood High School in 1989 he was the best art student in the entire school.
I remember the teacher Mr.Dunigan would marvel in Bennys talent, and talk about the places his art could take him. One of his sculptures, is still on display at the School. But one thing about Benny is that as talented as he was, he was as equally aware of his culture and the plight of an inner city youth. his artwork depicted it, he once drew a picture of the famous picture of Malcolm X staring out of the window with an assault gun, that was so life like it was scary, and this was before, Spike Lee Movie, Made X a pop Icon. Bennys art depicted a better vision of African American life in neighborhoods like Hough. He lived in a bubble above a community that has become more and more heartless, as generations forget lessons of Malcolm x and Dr. King.
The true definition of a Rose growing out of concrete, the Kid with the Bifocal glasses and Oakland Raider starter coat always registered an (I wondered what ever happened to him moment in my mind) I had hoped he was in NYC,Paris, Milan, doing art, or at worst living in a suburb in a different city like me. in my brief time of knowing him the Benny I knew would never sell out his people, he saw the good in everyone.
so when i read an article and I saw the name Benny Deloach, my heart sunk even if i had only known him a short time, not Benny, Though some 22 years have passed since I had last seen him, I felt like society owed him more. when the paper waxed on about how much of good man, dad, and friend he was, i was not surprised. He was always that way. from the school thugs, athletes,faculty and uncool wannabees like me he always hard a smile and went about his work.
I never knew the man he became after all we were just kids then, but I cant stop thinking about him, his family, and tragic irony of his end. I cant stop thinking about the artist in the Bifocals who loved a culture he never gave up on, a loyalty that ultimately betrayed him. RIP Benny DeloachWow-- what an addition to my article....
Why him? I'm going to keep up on this case and see where it leads--if anywhere. His loyalty betrayed him you write....this is truly a sad story and depending on the reasons for his shooting says a great deal of our society, none good.....thanks for the addition and the words.
Stevei know who did this .. Steve email me and I will tell u
This was a nice tribute to Benny, Steve. I was reading the other comments and it's wonderful that someone who knew Benny years ago, spotted your story and told us a little more about him. Your article may cause that person to get in touch with Benny's wife and share his memories of Benny and your article. I'm sure it will comfort her to know there are still caring people in the world.Hi Brianna (check your facebook mail by the way). I couldn't beleive that someone who went to school with him saw the article. Yeah, it would be nice if he contacted his family. Sad tale, sad tale.....
Location, location, location - hum....I was just down in that neighborhood two days ago--this incident made me more aware. Met some nice people down there but there was an off-duty cop working where I went--something that is a must for people's safety--a shame...
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