Brothers in arms Peter Drozda, Joshua Reid-Dixon, Colby “Branch” Benton are seen posing. Reid-Dixon started a GoFundMe for his friend Benton who was the victim of a stabbing at his birthday party over the weekend in Dobson. The fund’s page can be found at: https://gofund.me/03af9a6b (Submitted photo)
Colby “Branch” Benton had a birthday Monday that he neither observed nor celebrated; for him, there was no birthday cake to mark twenty-seven years. Today he is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life following a violent incident last weekend at the very party meant to celebrate his birth.
Benton is a former United States Marine who, with four others, was stabbed Sunday after an altercation at 153 Old Wagon Trail, Dobson.
According to a release from Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt authorities arrived at the scene at 12:42 a.m., responding to a call of a stabbing incident with multiple victims.
Cortlan Damaryce Clark, 21, of 289 Happy Oaks Lane, Boomer, was arrested in Wilkes County Sunday and jailed under a secured $125,000 bond, according to a release sent by the Sheriff’s Office.
He faces one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and four charges of assault with a deadly weapon. He will make his first appearance in Surry County District Court on Nov. 9.
Sheriff Hiatt said this was considered to be an “isolated incident which started with a physical altercation between Mr. Clark and several of the victims.”
“When patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they found three victims with multiple stab wounds ranging in the areas of the chest, neck and/or upper extremities,” the sheriff said.
Two of the victims had already left to seek medical care, suffering from similar wounds.
“All five victims were transported and/or seen by a medical facility: Northern Regional Hospital, Hugh Chatham Hospital and/or Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital,” the sheriff said, adding that three were males and two females.
Further details on the incident have come in part from the GoFundMe page set up by Benton’s fellow Marine Joshua Reid-Dixon where the incident was described thusly, “On the evening of October 1, Branch and a group of close friends and family were celebrating his birthday when an uninvited guest (Clark) showed up. After being asked to leave, the individual refused to comply before drawing a deadly weapon, which he used to then stab Branch and four others.”
The statement goes on to say that Benton is “currently in the hospital, in a coma. He suffered a severe stroke from a blood clot that formed after the stabbing. His brain has swollen to the degree they needed to remove a piece of the skull just to provide relief and to prevent even more damage.”
His family said Wednesday morning they were heading to the hospital to get an update on Branch’s condition, “Right now we’re headed to the hospital. They are bringing him off sedation to do neuro tests to test his responses.”
Reid-Dixon said Wednesday that he was not at liberty to disclose what hospital was treating Benton, saying there may be some ongoing security concerns and that information is being withheld from non-family members.
“His life, as we know it, will never be the same,” Reid-Dixon writes of his comrade in arms who he called “the life of the party, a man of good morals and ethics, a loving soul, a kind soul, a man with patience and love for anyone he encountered.”
Brianna Kelly was an invited guest to the party and was also injured during the attack. She suffered a deep cut to her left arm which is now in a splint. “I may never get feeling back in it again,” she said Wednesday. She is cousin of the suspect but that did not stop her from calling the police and trying to turn Clark in herself.
“He (Clark) jumped in my car and try to force me to take him to his car and I refused. I went straight to the hospital and attempted to turn him into the police but he was already gone,” she said.
Some in the Benton family are finding the smallest silver lining amongst a tragic occurrence, “He should have bled out before making it to the hospital,” Luke and Eliza Benton wrote on Facebook, “But God placed a nurse at the party who knew where to put her fingers to slow down the tremendous blood loss.”
Reid-Dixon spoke about his friend with the level of respect that Branch earned during their time in the Corps and as the person out of the uniform, “He’s a patriot that loves America, and that was demonstrated in his four years of selfless service. He loves his family, his friends, the outdoors, horseback riding, working on his family ranch, and just being the sunshine on anyone’s cloudy day,” he wrote.
“As you read this post, He is fighting for his life right now and he needs our help,” he said on the GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the expenses that are to follow.
He established the GoFundMe so Branch’s friends, loved ones, fellow Marines, and veterans of all branches can send financial support and words of encouragement for his family during this trying time. A goal for donations of $10,000 was set and has already been exceeded with the tally continuing to grow higher still. Find the GoFundMe page at: https://gofund.me/03af9a6b
There are other victims and families suffering as well and Sheila Benton said she is keeping the other victims in her prayers, “I also would like to pray for the other four victims. They have families, friends, loved ones. I pray God will rescue all these families from evil and give them all comfort and miraculous healing.”
Reid-Dixon said that Benton is an incredible human being who, “Will now have to live the rest of his life with medical complications and limitations.”
The family requests prayers for Branch as well as all the other involved and have asked for privacy.