BY VEENA RAO
Forest Acres, SC, June 2, 2026 — A 53-year-old Indian-origin woman who was reportedly preparing to restart her teaching career and leave an unhappy marriage was found dead in her home last week in what police say appears to be a domestic violence-related murder-suicide.
The Forest Acres Police Department identified the victim as Annie Christinal Pushpanathan, 53. The suspect was identified as Kenneth Dwain Benton, 67, who died at a local hospital on May 28 after suffering a gunshot wound.
According to police, officers responded to a welfare check request on May 26 at a residence on Barnes Springs Road. After forcing entry into the home, they found Pushpanathan dead from a gunshot wound.
Police then made contact with Benton inside the residence. Hostage negotiators persuaded him to surrender within about an hour. Authorities later determined that Benton had suffered a gunshot wound before officers arrived.
The preliminary investigation points to a murder-suicide, though the case remains active and ongoing. Investigators believe it was an isolated domestic violence incident and said there is no threat to the public.
Police records show that between 2015 and 2021, officers responded to five complaint calls involving the couple. In each case, authorities said there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges, though resources were offered and declined.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots before police arrived. One longtime neighbor, Nasir Syed, said residents called 911 after hearing the shots.
Syed, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years and whose home is about 100 meters from the residence, said he first met Pushpanathan around 2014 or 2015. According to Syed, Pushpanathan moved to the United States in 2008 on a J-1 visa and worked as a special education teacher for about two years before later taking a job at a gas station.
Syed said Pushpanathan had told him on multiple occasions that Benton was abusive and that she wanted to leave the marriage. He described Benton as disabled and unemployed, saying he depended on government benefits and Pushpanathan’s income.
“She was a kind lady, very soft,” Syed said. “People liked her.”
According to Syed, Pushpanathan spoke with him earlier this year about pursuing a teaching career again. A veteran educator, Syed advised her on the certification process and study materials needed to qualify for teaching positions.
Around January, he said, Pushpanathan told him she wanted to get out of the marriage and begin divorce proceedings. At the same time, she was studying for teacher certification exams and exploring opportunities to work as a substitute teacher.
“She was asking me more about teaching jobs,” Syed said. “I told her what books to study and that once she passed the exams, I would help her find a position.”
Syed said Pushpanathan later informed him that she had passed one of the required exams but had not yet completed the certification process.
After the shooting, Syed said Benton’s daughter told him she saw teacher certification preparation books on the coffee table inside the home.
Chief Don Robinson called the case “an incredibly tragic situation” and said it serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences domestic violence can have on individuals, families, and communities.
Community members are assisting Pushpanathan’s family with arrangements to return her remains to India for final rites. Pushpanathan was from Tamil Nadu.
The investigation remains ongoing.
