Comedian’s stalker says he’s sorry

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1999 | 1:48 a.m.

The man who went to prison for stalking Jerry Lewis says he didn't realize he had such a strong impact on the comedian.

"I didn't think I did anything," Gary Benson said in a phone call to Inside Edition Wednesday.

Benson said he called Lewis about 12 times and went to his house a couple of times.

"I apologize and it'll never happen again," he said.

Justice of the Peace Jennifer Togliatti on Tuesday granted Lewis' request to extend a 1992 protection order against Benson until Sept. 21, 2000. Lewis has said he and his family lived in fear of Benson.

Benson, a 56-year-old diagnosed chronic schizophrenic, was convicted in 1995 of aggravated stalking. He will be released from prison on Oct. 5. With work credits and good behavior time, Benson served 4.3 years of his six-year sentence, prison officials said.

According to an affidavit, Lewis alleges Benson called him as recently as May and said, "Jerry, I'll be out in 65 days."

Benson's attorney told Togliatti his client has made plans to reside in another state upon his release.

The Lewis stalking case played a key role in the passage of a bill this year before the Nevada Legislature that upped the maximum aggravated stalking penalty from six years to 15 years.