LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. – The bodies of former NFL lineman Barry Bennett and his wife were found inside their rural Minnesota home Wednesday and police are now searching for the couple’s 22-year-old son.
Bennett and his wife Carol, both 63, were found by a friend who performed a welfare check after phoning Todd County Sheriff’s Office to report that they had not responded to texts or phone calls since Tuesday.
The suspect was identified by Twin Cities Pioneer Press as Dylan John Bennett, the couple’s son, who was living with them at the time.
“Based on information gathered during the investigation, it is determined that there is no threat to public safety at this time,” said Todd County Sheriff Steve Och in a statement.
Dylan Bennett is believed to be driving a blue 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe with a Minnesota license plate BCK-487.
The Todd County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond on Friday to a Fox News request for additional information or comments.
Bennett was a defensive lineman in the NFL. He played 11 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets, and the Minnesota Vikings before retiring in 1988.
He subsequently became a physical education teacher in Long Prairie, but retired, according to the Star Tribune.
“It hit hard this morning,” said Jon Kringen, superintendent for the Long Prairie Grey Eagle School District. “Everyone was in shock when they heard. It’s impossible to comprehend that this could happen. People are lost for understanding. … He and his wife were good people.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender’s Task Force are assisting in the investigation.
