Mark W. Benefield, 63, was found dead in the woods behind his home in Leeds, Alabama, on January 31, 2015. Initial investigator reports suggested he had sustained a gunshot wound consistent with an accidental shooting while hunting.

Born April 19, 1951, Benefield graduated from Leeds High School in 1969 and lived in the area for most of his life. He was a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Department of Conservation, and a Natural Resources Game Warden were involved in the investigation into the circumstances of his death.

There were no public reports of arrests or of suspects being sought. Did anyone in the Leeds hunting community have information about that day or Benefield’s usual hunting routines?