Wellesley man held without bail after alleged fatal stabbing of father at Phillips Park

James Floyd Bennett III was ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty to first-degree murder in the alleged stabbing death of his father at Phillips Park in Wellesley.

Bennett, 26, was arraigned in Dedham District Court on June 26, 2026, one day after the fatal stabbing. The victim was identified as James Floyd Bennett Jr., 58, according to subsequent courtroom reporting.

Police response at Phillips Park

Wellesley police responded shortly before 6 p.m. on June 25 to a 911 call at Phillips Park, 11 Maugus Avenue. Officers found Bennett Jr. suffering from stab wounds, and he was pronounced dead, according to the Wellesley Police Department.

The initial response launched a homicide investigation involving Wellesley police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office.

The official police release described the fatal stabbing and the responding agencies but did not identify the victim or the accused. Those identities and the father-son relationship were reported during subsequent coverage of the court proceedings.

What prosecutors alleged

Prosecutors said Bennett later went to the Wellesley Police Department and told officers he was responsible for the stabbing. That account was presented as part of the allegations in the criminal case.

Prosecutors also alleged that Bennett and his father had gone to Phillips Park to play soccer and discuss the World Cup before the stabbing. The reported account describes events leading up to the charge but does not establish a motive or determine Bennett’s guilt.

The charge is an allegation. Bennett pleaded not guilty at the June 26 arraignment, and the judge’s order to hold him without bail means he was detained as the first-degree-murder case proceeds.

Case status

The arraignment moved the matter from an active investigation into a formal first-degree-murder prosecution. The alleged killing occurred at a public Wellesley park, while the court proceeding took place in nearby Dedham District Court the following day.

No conviction or final disposition has been established. The criminal case remains subject to further court proceedings, and Bennett is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.