Martin James Benes

Martin James Benes, 46, of Dallas, was tragically killed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at his home in Dallas, Texas.

He was born in Czechia, called Czechoslovakia at that time, on June 3, 1979, and moved as a child with his parents and brother to Austria to flee communism before spending time in Boston and ultimately settling in Dallas. He attended SMU where he graduated summa cum laude with three degrees, had numerous awards and accolades including awards in Finance, Business, Economics, and Psychology, and was a member of numerous honor societies including Phi Beta Kappa. He continued with his education at SMU Dedman School of Law where he graduated cum laude with his Juris Doctor. He started his career at large law firms before moving to companies, and most recently, had his own firm. He continued to receive awards during his career, including the Association of Corporate Counsel's Top 10 30-Somethings and was a finalist for D CEO Magazine's Outstanding Deputy General Counsel.

James was a bright individual with an infectious sense of humor who loved to tell stories and make people laugh. He loved to travel and would visit family back in Czech. He was always one to help around the house and loved projects working with his hands, restoring cars, building his own patio, and was an expert at painting, among other things. He had a creative side that he enjoyed sharing with his kids. He loved his family dearly, and his son and daughter gave him so much joy. Unfortunately, as is the case with many bright people, he struggled with his mental health, including alcoholism and depression.

He is survived by his parents, Frank and Judith Benes, his brother Paul Benes, his former wife Sarah Benes, and their two children, Luke and Sophia.

A funeral service is planned for Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 3:00 pm at Christ Lutheran Church, 3001 Lovers Lane, Dallas, Texas 75225. Donations for the benefit of his children, alcoholism and mental health research, funeral expenses, and to cover legal expenses in pursuing a claim related to his unnecessary and tragic death at the hands of Dallas Police would be appreciated. A trust is being set up for Luke and Sophia by their mother Sarah Benes for their benefit. Their education was always very important to him.