Village of Corfu

Wednesday’s elections in one local village gave voters the option to choose an accused murderer as their next mayor.

In the Genesee County Village of Corfu, residents cast their votes for trustee, justice and mayor. The Republican candidate for that leading job is Scott Doll, a corrections officer and co-owner of a car dealership.

“The family's a good family. They've been here for years. It's just too bad this has had to happen," says Corfu resident Lawrence Ingram.

Doll is the same Scott Doll charged with murdering his partner in the car business, Joseph Benequist, 66. He too was once a corrections officer. Crimes like this rarely happen in such tiny towns.

Ingram says, “It’s unheard of. Caused quite a stir."

At the end of January, the 46-year-old Doll accepted the Republican nomination for Corfu Village Mayor. Two weeks later, he was arrested and charged with Benequist’s death. It was too late to take Doll's name off the ballot.

On February 16, sheriff's deputies found Doll walking down the road covered in blood. They later found Benequist’s body in his own driveway; he had been beaten to death. Doll's lawyer says they have the wrong man.

“I think that is going to be demonstrated as time goes by. That there is a person out there that is responsible for this and he will someday be detected," said attorney Paul Cambria.

“We certainly believe we have the right perpetrator," says Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman. He fought Doll's release on bail. The judge approved it and Doll made the $200,000 bond. He'll also become the first suspect in the county to be tracked by GPS monitoring through an ankle bracelet.

Many residents did not want to talk with us on camera. Corfu is a tight knit village of 750 people. Everyone knows each other including the families of the suspect and the victim.

Lawrence Ingram grew up with Doll's mother. Her family ran the supermarket in town for years. Her son could possibly run the village, if he gets enough votes and is found not guilty of murder.

“I don't know how other people feel but it's on there and if someone wants to vote for him they can," said Ingram. "It's up to them. He's innocent until proven guilty."

Doll should be released on bail Thursday. Democrat Todd Skeet won the two-year term as mayor of Corfu Wednesday night. Scott Doll received 47 votes despite facing murder charges. Doll is back in court for motions on the murder charges May 20.

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