Reportedly, the UC Irvine graduate student, Brian Benedict, is accused of shooting his ex-wife, Rebecca Benedict, to death on-campus housing at UCI on Sunday night during a child custody exchange of the couple’s 4-year-old son, police announced this morning. The incident followed a hearing just a couple days before where Brian Benedict was ordered by Orange County Superior Court judge Nancy A. Pollard to more than double child support payments to his ex-wife. Police stated Brian Benedict, 35, shot Rebecca Benedict, 30, just before 7 p.m. in the parking lot outside the Verano graduate student apartments on Verano Place.

Reportedly, on Thursday, Orange County Superior Court judge Nancy A. Pollard issued a ruling in their divorce case that apparently could have forced Brian Benedict to drop out of school to earn more to pay child support. The Orange County Superior Court judge Nancy Pollard also referred to a recent suicide attempt by Brian Benedict.

After just two and a half years of married life, Brian and Rebecca Benedict separated on September 30, 2006. Rebecca Benedict filed for divorce January 16 of this year; and the case was decided on Thursday.

Reportedly, Rebecca Benedict’s finances didn’t look much better than her ex-husband’s. She had a year still to go for a needed degree. Her new dog-breeding business hadn’t taken off yet, she told Orange County Superior Court judge Nancy Pollard. It was her second failed business in recent years.

Rebecca Benedict apparently took her half of a joint $80,000 savings account and tried to start a business taking pictures of children on pony rides. The three horses she bought – Sasha, Little Foot and Silver – are listed in the couple’s joint property. But Rebecca wanted Orange County Superior Court judge Nancy A. Pollard to know that, “due to the current economy, the pony rides and picture business has not been generating income.”

The couple agreed that Brian would pay $450 per month in child support, according to stipulations in their divorce case file. Then, on Thursday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nancy A. Pollard ordered him to pay $920 a month in support, more than double his child support payment, basing the ruling on his higher income in earlier years.

“The court finds that the care and maintenance of the child is more important than the care and maintenance of the father’s schooling,” the summary of the ruling reads.

Even before the ruling, Brian Benedict was distraught. Pollard refers to a recent suicide attempt, ordering “that if another incident of suicide or attempted suicide occurs, petitioner (Rebecca Benedict) can come in ex parte (by herself).”

Rebecca Benedict’s lawyer did not return a phone call requesting more information about the case. Brian Benedict represented himself in the divorce.

Authorities say the shooting is the first ever homicide at UC Irvine. For the full story by The Orange County Register click here.