AlaskanCitizensForJustice

After 17 years, we have come to the final chapter.  Kenneth Dion was sentenced to serve 124 years for abducting, raping and murdering my sweet 18 year old daughter, Bonnie Craig.  We can breathe a final sense of relief.  Although, in our justice system, you never know.  He does have 30 days to appeal.  

During the sentencing my daughter, Samantha Campbell, and I took the opportunity to speak.  I was so incredibly touched by Samantha's words.  She was 12 when her sister was murdered.  Here are Samantha's words to her sister's killer and Judge Jack Smith.

"Kenneth Dion; You will never begin to understand the totality of your actions and I will never be able to come even remotely close to helping you understand, but this is my attempt. This is my attempt to have you search within yourself for what little regard you have for any other human being besides yourself. I hope you hear every word I am about to say, every word my family says, every word that was spoken during the trial on behalf of my sister, and every word my sister said to you in the hours between when you kidnapped, raped, and murdered her. I hope these words stick with you and haunt you for the rest of your life. I hope there is never a day that passes where you don’t think about something that was said on behalf of my sister’s life.

 

When I think of you, I think of a jagged, cold, hard, insignificant little pebble. The pebble that was tossed into a beautiful, crystal clear, sparkling pool that represents my sister. The ripple effect that you created is still felt and will never go away. Bonnie was beautiful, intelligent, fun, loving, and tenacious. She touched the heart and soul of every person she ever encountered, which is how I now know you have neither a heart, nor a soul. I’ll never forget the public outcry from, not only my family, our friends, and Bonnie’s friends, but also the public in general. Such a heinous act hurts the very core, shakes the trust and integrity, and leaves an unanswered emptiness for our community. There is no worse than what you have done. Taking the life of such a vibrant young aspiring part of our community is nothing short of senseless. 

 

Parts of my sister you will never be able to take away are my beautiful memories. None of which I will share with you. I will tell you what you did take. You took away my childhood, my sense of self and esteem, my chance at a normal life with a normal family, and last, my trust.

 

 I will always be Bonnie’s sister and never just me. I will always be the victim of your actions. I will never forget the fear and sorrow I felt as a 12 year old, being held by my 13 year old brother, when I heard my father collapse to his knees screaming at the news of Bonnie’s death. That fear and sorrow is an ache that is within my being every time I want, need, and miss my sister, which is all the time. She wasn’t just my sister either. She was my role model, my support, my stability, and my best friend which means I feel the same ache when any of those are needed as well. 

 

At 12 years old, I lost my childhood. I grew up in a matter of seconds after learning of Bonnie’s death. I helped figure out what Bonnie was wearing and what she had with her when you kidnapped her within moments of knowing I would never see her again. I lost my parents and my friends. My parents were too consumed in their own grief and their need to know what happened, to realize I was still there needing them. I lost my friends. No one knew what to say or how to act around me and I no longer fit in any crowd. I was in a very small crowd of murder victims that consisted of my lost grieving family.

 

I lost my trust. I remember learning most victims of rape and murder are done by people close to the victim. I didn’t trust my own father as he was being ruled-out as a suspect. I have little trust for men in general and carry many stereotypes I wish I could overcome. I can never be blissfully ignorant and think “that would never happen to me” because, in a sense, it already did.

 

The first time I saw you, scared, pathetic, and unable to make eye contact I didn’t know what to think of you. You didn’t exist in my life until then and I still wasn’t sure I could completely hate you. The years after losing Bonnie I always maintained that I never wished death on you for one simple reason; I’d never want anyone who could have possibly loved you to feel even the slightest bit of loss like I felt. Throughout the trial you became cocky and arrogant. I learned and saw details about Bonnie’s rape and murder I had been sheltered from.  I saw you shake your head and skirt away from the decisions you made and not man-up or take responsibility for your actions. On top of that, you tried to taint and destroy the reputation of my sister to cover your own ass. You are a heartless, soulless coward and I do hate you. I hate you and will never forgive you for what you did to Bonnie, my family, our friends, and our community. 

 

I hope you will spend the remainder of your life in prision. Above that, I hope you find the courage to be a man and actually tell the truth, admit, and apologize for all the pain you have caused. My hope for that simple humanizing gesture could possibly restore some of my lost sense of trust and finally give my family some of the still unanswered questions. My hope is that you show the ones you love and care about that you still have some decency and regard for others hidden deep within you.

 

In ending my statement that I have run through my head thousands of times since I learned of the crimes you committed and the impact that it left, I want to thank you. I thank you for being careless and getting caught so you can never hurt another innocent person again. I thank you for making me realize just how real and precious life is and that within moments your entire world can change. Finally, I thank you for showing me what evil is so I can cherish and look to the good.

 

Your honor, I know I ask a lot of you, but I also know that what I am asking is your duty. I ask that you also recall everything I have said and what was said on behalf of my sister.  I ask that you put this man away for the rest of his life and protect our community from what he has already done. This man has no remorse and no regard. He does not deserve to be free or given the opportunity to hurt someone ever again. I ask that you show Kenneth Dion, Bonnie, my family, and everyone this has touched that the Justice system does indeed seek justice. I ask that you show the jury they are correct and did their civic duty well. Finally, I ask that you show the world the worth of the taking of a human life is irreplaceable and unacceptable and will result in the highest consequence the Justice system can offer."

It was an incredibly moving statement and as Samantha read it she often looked straight into Dion's beady eyes.  As a mother, I was so proud of Samantha and all that she has become, despite having to grow up with such incredible tragedy that was drugged out over 17 long years.  

Dion never admitted to his crimes.  As the prosecutor told the judge, Dion has never taken responsibility, Dion burst out in rage saying, "And I never will, because I didn't do it!"  He later yelled out that he didn't get a fair trial.  I sat there with pleasure, hearing his outburst, knowing that he was only harming himself.

The judge sentenced him to 124 years; 99 years for First Degree Murder and 25 years for First Degree Sexual Assault. The maximum on both.  Dion will be 82 before becoming eligible for parole.  Our family, Bonnie's Friends and the community can now start to heal.


 

 

Nothing can be more devastating than losing a child to murder.  Not getting answers for months, years, even decades makes that devastation so much worse.  It’s like a cancer growing inside you.  You can pretend that your life is getting back to normal, but, it never does.

It was almost 17 years for our family to get answers and hear those incredible words. “GUILTY” “GUILTY’ “GUILTY” “GUILTY.”   It was an amazing bittersweet victory; one that I never expected.

For 12 years I lived in fear that someone was getting away with murdering Bonnie, my beautiful, sweet, 18 year old daughter.  Once the killer, Kenneth Dion, was identified I lived in fear that he could get away with it.  I feared he could get off on a technicality; that the trial could end up with a mistrial, hung jury, or even worse, that the killer could be acquitted.  I lived with that fear for almost 5 years.

During the trial, we all watched a video of the Alaska State Trooper’s response at the crime scene.  One trooper crawled around on his hands and knees looking for evidence above the cliff.  He found one drop of Bonnie’s blood, which was a crucial piece of evidence proving Bonnie was injured before going over the cliff.

Another trooper went into the water in dive gear looking for evidence, weapons, and to check the flow and drift pattern of the water.  Then, I watched them lift Bonnie’s face out of the water and carefully place her battered, lifeless body into a “body bag.”  As much as no parent ever wants to ever see such images, it was incredibly healing for me. 

For 17 years, I believed that everything was messed up and overlooked.  I thought the whole scene was treated as an accident and no evidence or documentation took place.  I feared the worst; I lived with so much anger and doubt.  Law enforcement can’t share a lot of information with the families during an open investigation.  All victims’ families live in fear that things aren’t being done.  Until you go through a trial and get the conviction there are still so many unknowns; so many fears and so much pain.

Hearing “Guilty” lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders.   It was such an incredible sense of relief.  17 years of doubt, lack of trust, anger, all gone.  It’s such a calming relief when it’s finally a reality.  “The killer is CONVICTED”  “He didn’t get away with murder.”   

I believe our family can now start to heal.  I want to thank Timothy Hunyor and the Alaska State Troopers for all the work they did on the case.  I want to thank the crime lab personnel for their work.  In my mind, they are the new heroes of justice.  Our crime lab is the foundation of our justice system.  And of course, the prosecuting team, Paul Miovas and Jenna Gruenstein.  They were incredibly caring and brilliant strategists.  Everyone in the court room knew on Paul Miovas' rebuttal that we would end up with 1^st degree murder conviction.  He was brilliant.  He "connected the dots and put it all together.  Thank you, Paul.

But, we are not here today for just “thank yous.”

I have learned, first-hand, how incredibly damaging living with the unknown is.  Now, with collection of DNA on Arrest, fewer cases will grow cold and cold cases can be resolved.  Daily, another cold case from 10, 20, even 30 plus years is solved.  Today, I, along with the Homicide Reward Fund Board, we are asking all Alaskans to get these 4 cases out in the public eye.  Four Alaskan teenagers, their precious lives cut short.  Shelley Connolly, 16, murdered January 7^th 1978; Eileen Wafer, 14, murdered June 10^th 1982; Jessica Baggen, 15, murdered May 6^th, 1996; and Ann Saephan, 15, murdered November 8^th 2003.  Let’s get these terrible murders solved so their families and communities can heal.  Someone out there has information; that piece to the puzzle that law enforcement needs. 

All Alaskans can help by taking two minutes.  Post the Homicide Reward Fund on your Facebook page.  Print out a flyer and post it or share it by emailing it to your network of friends.  We want ALL Alaskans to read about these four unsolved murders; AND, we want the persons responsible for these murders to know they will be caught.  NO ONE SHOULD GET AWAY WITH MURDER;  AND, THEY WON’T .

Let’s get these cases solved!   Let’s get an arrest and a conviction for each of these four families.

EVERYONE DESERVES JUSTICE.

 

Karen Foster

Read by daughter Samantha Campbell at the press conference September 28, 2011 at the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory.

“EVERYONE DESERVES JUSTICE”

On the anniversary of the Bonnie Craig murder, September 28, 1994, we would like to celebrate our family’s bittersweet victory and call attention to the other families who are still awaiting justice.

No one should get away with murder, rape, nor any other heinous crime.  Now that Bonnie’s killer has been convicted the money collected shortly after Bonnie’s murder is offered as a reward to help find answers in other unsolved Alaskan murders.

The Homicide Reward Fund, a 501c3, formerly the Family and Friends of Bonnie Craig Reward Fund, is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person/s responsible in the murders of four other Alaskan teenage girls.

Shelley Connolly, 16, of Anchorage, was raped and murdered January 7^th, 1978.  Her body was found by the railroad tracks just past McHugh Creek.  DNA evidence is available. She was last seen the night before talking with four men at Chilkoot Charlie’s.

Eileen Wafer, 14, of Haines, was home babysitting her younger brothers June 10, 1982.  When her mother returned the boys were in bed, but Eileen was gone.  Her body was found four days later under bushes on a beach in Portage Cove.

Jessica Baggen, 17, of Sitka, was found raped and murdered May 6^th, 1996 in Sitka.  She left her sister’s after celebrating her 17^th birthday on the 4^th, but never made it home.  Her body was found in a wooded area off a bike trail. 

Ann Saephan, 15, of Anchorage was a passenger in a car sitting in the parking lot at the Space Station on Spenard Road, November 8^th, 2003, when a suspect fired several rounds into the rear of the car killing Ann.  The suspect fled on foot and to this day has not been identified. 

No one should get away with murder!  We are asking the public to never forget these young victims or their families, and for those with any information to come forward.  The Homicide Reward Fund will pay up to $20,000 to get these killers behind bars.  They are a risk to us all.  The families and friends of these teenage girls need answers and deserve justice.  Contact the Alaska State Troopers Cold Case Investigations at 907 269-5611 or the Anchorage Police Department  907-786-8900.

 We are launching a statewide campaign getting flyers out to all law enforcement, asking businesses to post these flyers from now until, at least sentencing of Kenneth Dion,  Bonnie’s killer, which will be October 31^st.   We have a Facebook page and web page www.AlaskaCitizensforJustice.com.  We are asking for everyone’s help.  Share it, pass it around,  let’s find some answers.  Our goal is get these killers behind bars and give the families, friends and communities the opportunity to start to heal. 

Press Conference will be held at the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory at 5500 Tudor Road, September 28th at 11:00 am.

Every time I read about another cold case solved with DNA evidence I can't help but do a little dance.  It is so incredibly thrilling for me.  It's another one up for the "good guys!"  No one should get away with murder; and with collection of DNA on arrest, pretty soon, no one will.  Fewer cases will grow cold.  Cold cases with DNA evidence will be solved!

The most recent case that has got me smiling like a cheshire cat is a cold case from 1989.  (Full Story)  You know this guy thought he would get away with murder, and he did for for 22 years.  Now, with more states collecting DNA on arrest, cases will not grow cold like this.  It would be very interesting to find out how many times this guy has been arrested since 1989.  How many crimes could have been prevented, if only DNA had been taken on arrest?

Connecticut still doesn't collect DNA on arrest.  Alaska passed collection of  DNA on Arrest in 2007 because of my daughter, Bonnie Craig's murder.  If DNA had been collected on arrest, her murder could have been solved within months.  It took 12  years to identify him with a DNA hit and then almost another 5 years to prosecute the case.  Collection of DNA on arrest saves lives and money and an incredible amount of pain.  It will prevent so many crimes.

On September 28th, the 17th anniversary of Bonnie's murder we are doing a statewide awareness campaign, offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for the murders of 4 other Alaskan teenage girls.  I know, first-hand, how a family suffers not having answers; not knowing who; not knowing if your life can ever get back to normal.  My biggest fear was that the monster was out there, free to harm another person's child.  

Take time to read about the four unsolved murders (Homicide Reward Page).  Share these cases.  Someone has a piece of information that will put the whole puzzle together for law enforcement.  There is DNA evidence in some of the cases, but let's not wait until that offender is arrested and convicted of another crime.  If you know of anyone who may have information tell them to contact law enforcement.  These families, friends and communities deserve answers and they deserve justice.  NO ONE SHOULD GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
 

 

CODIS, the national DNA database, has almost 385,000 forensic DNA profiles from crime scene evidence.  Many of these crimes could be solved if all 50 states and Canada collected DNA on all felony arrests.  In fact estimates are 60% could be solved.  For each of these unsolved crimes there are victims, families, friends and communities desperately needing answers.  For each of these unsolved crimes there is a criminal getting away with murder, rape, or some other heinous crime.  This criminal, more than likely, is out in our communities able to harm others, committing more crimes. In some cases they are in prison but their DNA has not yet been collected. Some states wait until the offender is about to be released before collecting and submitting the DNA profile to CODIS.  

All 385,000 profiles are awaiting a match to a known offender.  In many states a DNA sample is collected on felony arrest, at the same time finger prints and mug shots are taken.  Alaska is one of those states.  In fact, Alaska processes the DNA profile and submits it to CODIS within 30 days of arrest.  

 Unfortunately, 24 states still have not passed legislation to protect their residents.  They don't collect DNA until after conviction.  That could take years.  Due to the overload of cases in many of the states judicial systems many of the criminals committing crimes are arrested, on average, 21 times prior to actually being convicted of a crime.  Our judicial system often has a revolving door.  One study shows that 40 % of people arrested for burglary have already committed a murder, rape or other heinous crime.  Burglary is often the way they support their lifestyle.  Studies show that matches between evidence and offender DNA profiles increase to 60% match rate when DNA is taken on arrest (See www.DNAResource.com ).

Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington State and Washington, DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Canada still haven’t passed legislation expanding DNA collection to felony arrests.  In many states law enforcement aren’t collecting and submitting DNA evidence from the crime scenes.  They are choosing not to use an incredible resource and technology that is available to them.  These states will become safe havens for the predators in our society.  More cases will grow cold.  It is more likely that an innocent person could end up behind bars.  It, ultimately, will cost more money.  Investigation time, prosecution time and court time could be reduced.  

Take a look at how your state is doing.  Go to www.DNA.gov  Check out the statistics for each state.  Some states really aren't utilizing CODIS effectively.  Canada has 67,634 unsolved crimes with DNA evidence. ( Go to http://www.nddb-bndg.org/images/stats_e.pdf )  If your state isn't collecting DNA on arrest let your lawmakers know how It is critical that collection take place at time of arrest.  It saves lives and a lot of pain.   It protects the innocent and keeps the innocent out of jail.  It will help balance the scales of justice.  

(originally posted July 26, 2011)
DNA testing of suspects arrested for a crime does not violate the US Constitutional right of an accused to unlawful search and seizure. In a 8-6 vote the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the DNA law to collect DNA for those arrested of a crime.

Judge Julio Fuentes wrote that "under the totality of the circumstances, given arrestees' and pretrial detainees' diminished expectations of privacy in their identities and the government's legitimate interests in the collection of DNA from these individuals, we conclude that such collection is reasonable and does not violate the Fourth Amendment."

This decision will make it possible for Pennsylvania lawmakers to revive a bill there to start collecting DNA on Arrest. Currently 26 states and the federal government collect DNA on arrest. Many more states have bills pending. American Civil Liberties Union have vowed to take the issue to the Supreme Court.

Jayann Sepich, Surviving Parent Coalition member and founder of DNA Saves filed a brief supporting the law. She responded to the decision saying, "DNA collection saves lives. Perpetrators of heinous crimes who are arrested again and again but not convicted continue to rape and murder," Sepich said. "I know the court made the right decision, and as a result, many lives will be saved."

Sepich's daughter, Katie, was murdered in New Mexico in August 2003. The killer was identified through DNA 3 years later. http://www.dnasaves.org Sepich has worked tirelessly to advocate for DNA on Arrest in all 50 states.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_748408.html

 

Both Florida and Ohio started collecting DNA on Arrest July 1st, 2011. AND New Jersey just passed legislation to collect DNA on arrest.  
 
 New Jersey is the 26th state to pass legislation to collect DNA on Arrest.  Fewer cases will grow cold as more states start collecting DNA on arrest.  There will be fewer places for the criminals to run.  Criminals will be identified sooner in their careers.

 The Surviving Parents Coalition www.SPCoalition.org have made it their mission to push for all 50 states and Canada to collect DNA on Arrest.  We have learned first-hand how critical it is to collect DNA on Arrest.  We are a nationwide group of parents who have lived every parent's worst nightmare.  Our children have been abducted, sexually assaulted, some murdered, few recovered, many are still missing.

In my daughter's case, Bonnie Craig, the crime could have been solved in months instead of it taking almost 17 years.  Alaska was the 7th state to start collecting DNA on felony arrest.

 NO ONE SHOULD GET AWAY WITH MURDER, RAPE, NOR ANY OTHER HEINOUS CRIME.  WITH COLLECTION OF DNA ON ARREST, THEY WON'T!

Please take time to look over this post.  It will help with understanding how critical it is to collect DNA on Arrest.

 http://www.lawfirmone.com/legal-forums/index.php/criminal-prosecution-and-defense/no-one-should-get-away-with-murder/#105 
 

Florida passed legislation in June 2009 to collect DNA on felony arrest. Unfortunately, the state legislature didn't allocate any funds to implement the program. Currently, we are pushing to get funding for the program. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-dna-law-20101011,0,3377718.story

No one should get away with murder, rape, nor any other heinous crime.  With collection of DNA on all felony arrests we can identify and successfully prosecute the predators in our society.  We can stop them!  We have the technology, 24 states and the federal government have passed legislation to collect DNA on arrest, but we need all 50 states to collect DNA on arrest.  We want to ensure there is no safe haven for the criminals.  

Collection of DNA on all felony arrests will protect the innocent and keep the innocent out of jail.  Fewer cases will grow cold.  Suspects will be identified sooner and taken off our streets.  Many crimes will be prevented.  Law enforcement will be able to focus on the right suspect sooner.  Collection of DNA on arrest saves investigation time, prosecution time and court time.  An Indiana study showed they could save $60 million a year.  One DNA profile costs $40-50.  One cold case can cost $1 million.  One law suit for a wrongful incarceration can cost a state $75,000 per year of incarceration.  One man, just exonerated, was wrongfully incarcerated for 27 years!

Collection of DNA on arrest does not violate any constitutional rights.  It is merely a means of identification, much like the bar code on products in the store.  It does not have any medical, psychological, nor racial information.  This is what a DNA profile looks like:

11,11,12,12,12,13,10,20,29,30,16,18,12

13,09,11,11,15,23,24,06,9.3,08,08,17,19

No name is even attached to the DNA profile in the national DNA database, CODIS.  There is no "intimate medical information." A mug shot is more of an invasion of privacy than a DNA profile.  Which would you rather see on the evening news or the internet; your mug shot or your DNA profile?

The suspect is still innocent until proven guilty.  Only a jury determines "guilty" or "not guilty."  

Surviving Parents Coalition (SPC), a nationwide group of parents who have lived through every parent's worst nightmare, promotes changes in this important public safety legislation.  Our children have been abducted, sexually assaulted, some murdered, few recovered and many are still missing.  We have learned first hand how critical DNA on felony arrest is to protect our children and grandchildren.

One of our missions is to get all 50 states collecting DNA on felony arrest.  We can't do it alone.  We need everyone to participate in the process of making such incredible changes.  We need support.  Please take time to call your US Senators.  Ask them to support the "Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2010."   It passed the US House (HR 4614).  It will provide 10% more federal funding for states collecting DNA on arrest.

If your state is not collecting DNA on arrest contact your state lawmakers and let them know you want DNA collected the same time finger prints and mug shots are taken.

Support the SPC as we strive to raise awareness and change legislation to protect our children.  We will kick off our "Ride for Their Lives" in Rochester, New York August 21st.  Ed Smart and Ahmad Rivazfar will ride bikes across the country to Los Angeles, CA to help raise awareness and funds to make the necessary legislative changes.  We need to raise $1 Million to help us in our missions.

We are pushing for funding for the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act of 2006.  We want to encourage compliance by all states in tracking and monitoring the registered sex offenders.  We are striving to get more support for the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces.  Currently, more than 1 million computers in the US are downloading child pornography.  These are pictures and videos of infants and children being sexually abused and tortured.  These are crime scene videos of children under 12 years old.  Law enforcement know the location of these computers.  They know there will be a child victim at one third of these locations, yet they only have the resources to investigate less than 2% of the known locations.  

Additionally, we promote education.  Teach our children to stay safe through programs such as r.a.d.Kids and Samantha's Pride. Go to www.SPCoalition.org for more information.

Please, don't turn away in disbelief and disgust from these horrors.  Help us turn tragedy into triumph.  Help us protect and rescue  our kids and save lives.  Help us find those who are still missing.  Take time to donate, to make calls, and to raise awareness

www.RideforTheirLives.com