Rush to Judgement, the Nona Dirksmeyer case

Nona Dirksmeyer was a sweet young college co-ed, with dreams of being a beauty queen when her life was tragically cut short in December 5th 2005. Her body was found in her Russellville apartment, by her then boyfriend Kevin Jones. Nona had been severely beaten.

Is the rush to Judgement in cases these days connected to the internet and 24 hour news? Are police lazier than they used to be? There is no doubt when 19 year old Nona Dirksmeyer, that the police messed up. They focused immediately on the boyfriend and ignored key evidence that would have exonerated him. So why the rush to judgement, has the mentality always been there? Worse yet, was the Jury wrong in finding Kevin Jones not guilty for viciously murdering Ms. Dirksmeyer in 2005? Either way when the Russelville Police narrowed in on the boyfriend Kevin Jones, positive that he killed the beauty queen, they somehow managed to let go of or contaminate key evidence. Later claiming that Kevin himself contaminated the scene when he found the body.

After eightteen months in prison Kevin was finally able to leave when the jury returned a not guilty verdict. Nearly a year later it was discovered that Nona Dirksmeyer's neighbor was convicted of assault, and his DNA was found on a condom wrapper at the scene. There are some that maintain that the DNA evidence is inconclusive, which is why Dunn has been tried twice as of 2010, and both trials have ended in hung juries.

Kevin Jones when questioned about the wrapper said he initially believed that his girlfriend had been raped, and then murdered. Was his theory of the crime more accurate than the police? Did Kevin Jones get away with murder? Was the rush to judgement a screw up from the police department, that potentially allowed the real murder to get away with it?

Kevin Jones, the boyfriend became the prime suspect almost as soon as the Police arrived on the scene.

Concerned when he didn't hear from his girlfriend all day, Jones and his mother went to her apartment to check on her. When they got there they found her body amid a trashed apartment. When the police investigated they found Kevin's print on a light bulb that also contained Nona's blood. Sure that this was the smoking gun they ignored key DNA evidence that led to the next door neighbor.

As of April 2nd 2011, Kevin Jones has filed a lawsuit; suing the special Prosecutor in the Dirksmeyer case.

Gary Dunn, the next door neighbor. His DNA was found at the scene, previously convicted of assaulting a woman, Dunn was a much better suspect than the boyfriend. Yet it would be 2010 before Dunn would be tried for this crime, and after two mistrials, the state would decide to postpone a third trial.

Some in the legal community say it is a miscarriage of justice to try Dunn a third time, since they weren't able to get a conviction in two previous trials.

Why weren't they able to get a conviction? A neighbor who had previously been convicted of assaulting a woman on a jogging trial, his DNA found at the crime scene. Police claim it is because of Kevin Jones, who upon finding his girlfriend's beaten body in his haste to determine if she was still breathing contaminated the scene. Originally when the Police focused on Jones as their prime suspect they claimed that he contaminated the scene in order to get away with murder. A twenty year old college student who has just found the 'love of his life' beaten and bloody on her apartment floor. Instead of running, like most scared 20 year olds would do, the Police argued that he cleaned himself up, went and got a witness then returned to the scene of the crime and contaminated it so that he would be able to explain why his fingerprints were in her apartment.

A more likely suspect linked to a condom wrapper found on Dirksmeyer's counter. A more likely reason why they haven't been able to get a conviction, the Police in their rush to judgement released key evidence back to the family, along with focusing more on a print on a light bulb, then on DNA.

In the end there is really only two people who know what happened that day in 2005. Nona Dirksmeyer, and the individual who took her life. We may never know who that second individual was, and so while the town of Russellville prays for justice for Nona, right now all they can do is wait.

As of April 5th the state has decided not to retry Gary Dunn a third time. They reserve the right to bring up charges again in the future and the Judge considers the case an ongoing investigation. Since there is no statute of limitations for murder if the state gets adequate evidence some time in the future they can charge and try whomever killed Nona.

Any information should be directed toward the Pope County Prosecutors office, or Russellville PD.