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Jury to Decide Who Killed Bonnie CraigThe state and the defense both made closing arguments Tuesday, ending the month-long trial of a nearly 17-year-old cold caseRelated Content
ANCHORAGE—An Anchorage jury was tasked Tuesday to answer the nearly 17-year-old question of “Who Killed Bonnie Craig?” after closing arguments were delivered in a downtown courtroom, ending the nearly month-long rape-and-murder trial of one of Alaska’s most well-known cold cases.
Prosecutors say Kenneth Dion kidnapped, raped and killed the popular college student, leaving her body in the waters of McHugh Creek on Sept. 28, 1994.
“There should be a ton of blood at the scene,” said Andrew Lambert, Dion’s defense attorney. “There should be pooling, dripping, spatter all over McHugh Creek. There’s no witness or evidence to place Ken or his vehicle in any association with Bonnie or McHugh Creek.”
In a dramatic finish, during his rebuttal argument, Asst. Attorney General Paul Miovas offered for the first time since the trial the state’s explanation as to why investigators did not find a bloody scene or signs of struggle.
“The man killed her in the water, below the cliff—she’d already been injured—went down and finished the job,” Miovas said. “The reason there's no blood, ladies and gentlemen, is because this man goes down to the creek and finishes the job so he doesn't leave a witness behind.”
Lambert, however, said the former Fort Richardson paratrooper had consensual sex with Craig, and that she’d led a secret life that ended in an accidental fall.
“We don't know what Bonnie was doing that morning because we know that the kids (Craig’s younger brother and sister) went off to school at about 7:50 a.m.,” Lambert said. “We have no idea where Bonnie was at, what she was doing until she clocked in for work that day. How long does it take to have sex? How long does it take to have sex with someone and nobody knows?”
“After 17 years, please let the police and media know, they got it wrong,” Lambert said. “It’s easy to do. Go back there and check four ‘not guilty’ boxes.”
Don’t buy what the defense is selling, Miovas told jurors.
Craig was “hopelessly in love” with her long-distance boyfriend at the time, Cameron Miyasaki, Miovas said, showing jurors emails the young pair had sent each other.
“They are a couple of young kids that want to spend the rest of their lives together,” Miovas said. “They are hopelessly in love. It is heart-wrenching to read some of these emails.”
The “really sad one,” Miovas said, was the one Miyasaki had sent the day Craig died.
“She was supposed to take two tests, turn in a paper and meet Cameron online at the computer lab,” Miovas said. “Bonnie never made it to the computer lab on the 28th.
Miovas flipped to the next email.
“This is the 29th, just after midnight after Bonnie had died that day,” Miovas said. “He never got to talk to her: ‘Hi Bonnie. What happened? Weren't we supposed to talk at Wednesday at 5:15? I thought we were but I guess we weren't. Either that or something went wrong with your computer.’”
Samantha Campbell, Craig’s younger sister, broke into tears for the first time during the trial as Miovas read the emails. Adam Campbell, Craig’s younger brother, reached for tissues.
“Something did happen,” Miovas continued. “Ladies and gentlemen, you know as well as I do what happened.”
Miovas turned to Dion, seated at the defense table, and pointed.
“That man stole Bonnie's life and took her away from her family and away from Cameron,” Miovas said. “He murdered her, ladies and gentlemen. Do not be fooled. You find him guilty of first degree murder and sexual assault in the first degree because the evidence mandates it, and so does justice.”
Three jurors were randomly selected out, leaving three women and nine men to reach a verdict on Dion’s fate.
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WTF said on Tuesday, Jun 14 at 11:48 PM
the question should ask, who raped and killed bonnie craig and says it wasnt his fault and has he done it to others we dont know about yet
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