Masters, Benjamin

Rumors in the deaf community had it that Craig Higgs (q.v.), deaf son of Australia's most powerful and notorious drug lord, had up to 40 million in Australian dollars hidden in his home. Benjamin Masters heard the rumors and, attracted to the prospect of easy money, talked 3 friends (two deaf and one hearing) into going with him to burglarize Higg's home to find and take the money. When they accidentially woke the sleeping Higgs and his deaf wife Sonya, they panicked and struck Higgs and Sonya with metal pipes and fled without getting anything. Craig Higgs was flown to a hospital but declared brain dead the next day. Sonya was hospitalized in critical condition but recovered. However, she then received serious injuries in a car crash, leaving her in a vegetable state. Rumors had it that her brakes had been tampered with to prevent her from testifying in the trial. In 2001, Masters and the other three burglars were arrested, tried, and imprisoned. Although they were in "protective custody" while in prison, their safety once released from up to 7 1/2 years of prison was in question, since Higg's father undoubtedly would seek violent revenge.