Family and friends gathered in the downstairs courtroom at The Clarke County Courthouse on Wednesday, November 12, in anticipation as Chquese Porter came in to offer his plea in regard to the murder of twelve-year-old Caleb Bender on June 28, 2024.
Judge Charles Wright swore Porter in and requested that he speak up when spoken to.
Porter’s attorney explained what happened on the day Caleb Bender was fatally shot in the chest at a home in Stonewall. Porter was playing with an AR-15 style rifle that had a live round in the chamber. Porter then pulled the trigger inside the home. Afterwards, Porter then tried to clean and cover up what happened.
Judge Wright asked Porter if what was said was true, and Porter confirmed under oath that it was the truth.
At the time of the murder, Porter was 14 and was charged as an adult for second degree murder.
If charged with second degree murder, Porter would have faced a sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.
Porter ended up pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter after discussing all of his options with an attorney. After observing the defendant and hearing the case presented to him, Judge Wright concluded that Porter was fully aware of the decision he was making by pleading guilty to the manslaughter charge, which comes with the possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
He was sentenced to the state’s recommendation of the maximum 20 years in prison without parole and will have to pay a fine totaling $9,619.50 upon his release.
During the proceeding, Vera Bender addressed the court to make a statement on behalf of the family of Caleb Bender. To honor the memory of the victim, the following was stated:
“Your Honor, today is a hard day. No parent, grandparent, or sibling ever imagines standing in a courtroom
because of the loss of a child. Our family is here because our beloved son, grandson, and nephew, Caleb Bender, is gone. He was only twelve years old—full of life, laughter, and promise.
Caleb was the heart of our family. He loved to play, to laugh, and to dream. His smile could brighten anyone’s day. He was kind, respectful, and always eager to help others. Losing him has left a silence in our home and a hole in our hearts that words cannot fill. We will never see him graduate, chase his dreams, or grow into the man we knew he would become. The world will never get to see the light he carried within him, and that reality is something we will live with for the rest of our lives.
Both families involved in this tragedy have suffered loss—one has lost a child physically, and the other faces the pain of separation. We recognize that grief exists on all sides. Still, the pain our family endures each day is something no sentence can ease and no words can repair.
Our faith teaches us to forgive, and we do. We pray for everyone impacted by this tragedy. Yet, forgiveness does not erase the ache in our hearts. It does not bring back Caleb or make the nights any easier. What it does is allow us to trust that justice and healing belong to God.
We pray for peace—peace for our family, peace for the community, and peace for all who have been affected by what happened. We ask the Court to consider the weight of what was lost: the life of a bright, innocent twelve-year-old boy who will never have the chance to grow up. Caleb’s absence is felt every single day, and his memory will remain with us forever.
Your Honor, we thank the Court for allowing us the opportunity to share who Caleb was and how deeply he is missed. We pray that justice will be served with both fairness and compassion. Thank you.”
Porter was then taken back to the Clarke County Jail where he is awaiting transport to an MDOC facility.
Sheriff Anthony Chancelor clearly remembers each detail of the case and everything leading up to this final sentencing. After dealing with the tragic details of the case, he would like to encourage families in the community to practice gun safety and make sure that kids understand gun safety so that another tragedy like this can be prevented.
“This murder took place when I had been in office for right at six months. Our deputies made the arrest that night, and he’s been in our custody ever since. My heart goes out to both parties—the family of the victim, as well as the family of the individual who’s been charged and now ultimately convicted. He pled to manslaughter. He’ll serve 20 years, day for day, in a Mississippi Department of Corrections facility,” expressed Chancelor. “One thing I do want to say is that a child’s life was taken in this incident by another child. Gun violence is a problem within our community. It has been, but I am in no way in favor of any type of gun grab or anything else. I believe in our Second Amendment rights, your right to bear arms; however, I am in favor of family members and parents and guardians teaching your children that firearms are essential, yet they are dangerous. They’re used for specific situations. Teach your children about gun violence and safety. Teach your children the proper handling of a weapon. Teach your children not to play with weapons. Keep your weapons locked up. Keep your weapons locked up away from children. I’m a constitutionally elected sheriff, and I believe in your constitutional right to bear arms, but you need to keep your guns locked up and teach your children about gun violence. For grown people who want to utilize weapons to harm others, we have a place for you. That’s a fact.”
