Man serving 15-year sentence for arson and stabbings dies in custody

By Robert Desaulniers

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    SALEM, Oregon (KEZI) — A Benton County man died in prison on Monday while serving out a 15-year sentence for arson and assault committed back in 2017, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.

According to court records, Benjamin Leland Bucknell, 29, entered state custody back in July 2019 when he pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted murder, three charges of first-degree assault, two charges of unlawful use of a weapon, a charge of first-degree arson and a charge of burglary. Court records said that back in May 2017, Bucknell went to a house in Corvallis, lit the house on fire, then went into the home and attacked five people with a knife, injuring one person badly enough they lost vision in one eye. Bucknell was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison, with an earliest possible release date of June 30, 2034.

On July 2, 2024, the Oregon Department of Corrections reported that Bucknell had died at a local hospital while incarcerated at the Oregon State Correctional institution in Salem. The DOC said the Oregon State Medical Examiner is working to determine the cause of death, as is the case with all in-custody deaths.

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