July 29, 2025 • 35 mins
Former Indiana state trooper David Camm came home from a church league basketball game to find his wife and two children shot to death in the family garage. Camm was convicted two times by Indiana courts and then ultimately acquitted after a third trial.
David Camm joined Terry Meiners on WHAS Radio to tell his story. Author Gary Dunn (The Reckoning, Part ll) joined them in the studio to dicuss the Indiana judicial system's multiple failures in pursuing this case.
David Camm joined Terry Meiners on WHAS Radio to tell his story. Author Gary Dunn (The Reckoning, Part ll) joined them in the studio to dicuss the Indiana judicial system's multiple failures in pursuing this case.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And it's Terry Miners of news Radio eight forty whas
in the studio with me is author Gary Dunn. He's
written the book called David Kam The Reckoning Part two. Gary,
welcome back. Is good to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hey, thank you, Terry. It's good to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
And David Cam is here in the studio with us. David,
I met you a little while ago. I really appreciate
you giving us time to talk with you about this
story that has rocked America from twenty five years ago.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, I appreciate you having us. It's a great honor
to be here with you.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I asked this question earlier, and it's off the book jacket.
How does David Cam get convicted of murder when he
has eleven alibi witnesses? Well, the story is deeply complex.
We saw it play out. Gary's written books about it
in great detail. But let's start with today. You went
to prison for thirteen years. Yes, sir, you saw your
(01:02):
wife and your children dead in the garage. Now that's
carnage most people could never overcome. And I see your
eyes missing.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
You already cried here in the studio before we got
on the air. How are you today, but it's a
new reality.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But to be perfectly honest, I have to say, considering
everything that I've been through the last five years, I'm blessed,
and people find that hard to believe to be in
the situation in which I currently find myself, I truly
am blessed.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
But the horror of finding your family dead and you
were then a used and convicted twice on this ultimately
acquitted various courts. Then we're going to get into some
of the complexity of all that you went to prison.
So after this first conviction, the door slams, You're in prison.
(02:20):
Tell me about your state of mind at that moment.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Well, I have to tell you, I never believed that
I would spend the rest of my life in prison.
I never thought that for a moment, And that's for
two reasons. Number One, I have a deep religious belief
in conviction, so I had that on my side. Secondarily
(02:48):
to that is I never believed that this would stand.
And I always believe that eventually the truth would expose itself.
So I always had those things in the forefront of
my mind, as difficult as it was going through the
day to day and moment to moment. But I truly
(03:09):
always believed that there would be a day, a reckoning,
if you will, and that the truth would be exposed
and that I would not have to spend the rest
of my life in prison.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I always believe that. But you were still speculating. You
didn't know you're in a dark prison. The doors slams.
Did the other inmates know that you were a former
state trooper?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Oh? Yeah, There are no secrets in prison. The two
things that there are a lot of in prison or
drugs and a gossip and talking behind individuals backs and
talking about individuals cases and so on. So it was
never it was never a secret, and it was, you know,
(03:57):
very well publicized, not just in southern indian and in
the Louisville metropolitan area, which was my home, but Indianapolis
as well, with it being such a huge case in
this state, and especially considering the fact that I was
an Indiana State trooper. So it was it was no
(04:18):
secret to the individuals.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
How often are you fixated on your wife's face, your
children's faces, and what you saw that night, but also
the joy that you've had with them prior to that night.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I spent virtually no time thinking about the atrocity in
which I found inside the garage. It's purely focused on
all the good and the kids and camera everywhere in.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
My house.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
And so and I know where they are, so I
don't worry about them, and I know that I'll see
them again. So I know that they are with the
Lord and they are good, and I focus more on that.
And but I you know, I have nightmares every night, Harry.
(05:19):
But it's not of what I found in the garage.
It's it's about dealing with being in prison and having
been in Indiana State Tripper, which I was very proud
of my career with the I s P. So there's
the duality of these two things, and somehow they come
(05:40):
together every night in my mind. And I, as I said,
I have nightmares every night relevant to that, But not
so much about Kim Bright and Jill in the garage
or Bonet. I believe I know Bonet's destiny unless there's
(06:00):
some humongous intercession into his life. Uh christ Wise, and
uh you know, so I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
He's the convicted killer. For those unaware, Charles Darnel, Bonnet
is the convicted killer. Yes, sir, you were accused of
aiding and abetting him. That was another part of another trial.
So this has lots of different layers. I want to
stay fixated on your family right now. Sure, Kim and
Bradley and Jill are gone. You are inferring that they're
(06:38):
they're in heaven. You'll see them again someday. I'm not inferring, brother,
I know, Okay. So in conversely, do you think do
you believe in Hell as well? Absolutely? And you think
that's bone a judgment. You think that's Bonet's ticket unless
he finds the Lord.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Absolutely, I would say based upon his most current activity,
and I have people in places that keep me attuned
to some of the things that he has going on
in his life and his attempts to be released from prison,
without divulging any of those individuals, just to give folks
(07:19):
an idea of who he truly is. If you were
to speak to Charles Darnell Bonet today, he would expect
you to call him doctor. Well, he has to be
called a doctor Bonet. That's what he wants to be
referred to. And that's simply based upon some online classes
or some booklets or something that he got from. I
(07:41):
think of a centurion ministries that he has completed and
he's been given this honorary doctorate degree and he wants
to be called doctor. And that's the sociopathic mentality of
this individual that the State of Indiana went out of
their way to protect.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Kim's family obviously was very upset with you. Have you
reconciled with them? Are you communicating with them at all?
I know there was legal action as well.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
No, no, no, and that breaks my heart. Early on
they chose a side, and I had written them a
letter early on and I said, look, I understand the
process and what's going to happen here, and they were
going they stand faith has to create a wedge between us,
(08:41):
because if you guys continue to fight for for me
and believe in me, it's going to hurt his case.
So various factors entered into the process of I think
manipulating them to get decide with him and his desires,
(09:03):
and ultimately they made that decision. And you know, Terry
with with with me in this situation. It's not the
kind of thing that you can be have a toe
in the water. You're either in or you're out. And
they were one hundred percent in. And like I said,
I think there were a lot of motivating factors behind that,
(09:26):
without getting into any of those details beyond what might
normally be considered by folks. Some of it's very disappointing.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Stan Fae being the first prosecutor.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Of course, right your book covers that in thorough details,
which we're gonna We're gonna do a second segment here
and talk more about what you've written. Is there any
way you can reconnect with Kim's family You've been acquitted.
They believe that a conviction, but don't believe the acquittal.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I think that would be an adequate description of the situation. Yeah,
and that's only my assumption because you know, I really
I'm not going to interject myself into their lives. I
don't want to create a disturbance for them, especially with
the highly probable situation of them not wanting that, so
(10:26):
it would be up to them to reach out. But
I just that's I truly believe that will never happen
because there are associated consequences for them attempting to reconnect
with me, and I don't think they want to face
those consequences and the realization of what they helped perpetrate,
(10:52):
and that including helping Charles Darnell Bounet stay free and
nearly remain free and never having based consequences for the
murder of my family.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Do you talk to your wife and children in that
place where they are.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
All the time? It's me and my dog right now.
And one of my favorite places to go is a
cemetery there in the town in which I live. And
I walked through there and I talked to those people
and read the gravestones and when they lived and when
(11:30):
they died, and I wonder about them, and that's where
I have my greatest communication with them. So, Yeah, they
are a huge element of my life and they always
will be.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Are you not able to visit your wife and children's graves?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Let me tell you for one, As I think I
mentioned to you earlier, I really feel like a part
of my loss is the loss of my hometown. Yeah.
And one of the first times that I went to
the gravesite to visit them, I had two people video
(12:12):
me with their phones, very intrusive, and that I have
never gotten over that. So many times that I've went
went and went to the grave site to visit with them,
it's either it had been early in the morning or
late in the evening because I can't get over that
fear that that's going to happen again. And that's not
(12:33):
a situation that I want to find myself in because
I don't like that. And the last thing I want
to do is have some sort of interaction with someone
that's going to give law enforcement and opportunity to come
after me for you know, some justified or non justified reason,
because I think they would just love that.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Are you confronted by people in public places who call
you a murderer?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Well, Number one, I don't live in this area. I
chose to move north and in the town in the
area where I live. Anyone that I meet that I'm
anticipating being close with, I make sure they know upfront.
It's not fair to not let them know that, especially
if we're Facebook friends or something, because I don't want
(13:19):
to get them to get any pushback unknowingly not realizing
my story and so on. So I make sure that
they know. And I have no issues. I've never had
an issue in that area. I don't spend a lot
of time in southern Indiana and the little of the
(13:40):
most proliton area, and again, that's very hurtful. It breaks
my heart, but I just don't want to find myself
in a situation where there's a possibility of something like
that transpiring. I just can't take the risk.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
David cam is the subject of the book The Reckoning
Part Two. The author is Gary Dunn. We're gonna continue
this conversation in about fifteen minutes at five oh five.
Thanks for being here, Thank you. We're coming back with
more than a few on news radio eight forty whas
you're a news Radio eight forty whas. Terry miners here.
We've been having a discussion with David cam former Indiana
(14:18):
state trooper whose family was killed at their home twenty
five years ago. He was convicted twice in this case,
ultimately acquitted in a third trial. Mister Camle, I appreciate
you hanging on to extend the conversation.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Thank you so much, Terry, I appreciate you absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Also in the studio is Gary Dunn, who's written a book,
Davidkam The Reckoning Part two, obviously a follow up to
your first visit to this case that's caught nationwide attention.
Mister Dunn, thank you for being.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Here as well, certainly, Terry, and again it's a thank
you for having us.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
I'm sure we're going to bring up the notion of,
oh my god, a beautiful family was murdered and there's
a book to make money. Please address this issue right away.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
That's absolutely hogwash. There's no money to be made on this.
But there is a very compelling story, a series of
stories to be told about how this atrocity occurred, and
it did occur, it was manufactured, and people say, well,
how did this happen? And quite frankly, the system cheated.
(15:33):
They cheated, the state police investigators, they cheated, they lied
on the original probable cause. Affidavid, and let me first
of all, have a caveat here. Certainly, the LAMB personnel
with the Indiana State Police were dynamite. They were excellent.
(15:55):
The DNA analyst, Lynn skamm Horn, the finger rent guy,
John Singleton, Ed Wessel, the firearms guy. They were all professional.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
It should be known that you're a former FBI agent
and investigator for twenty seven years.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
And I worked closely with the State Police for eighteen
of those years, and by god, we worked well, and
we worked professionally. But it didn't happen in David's case.
They put a lead detective in charge who was incompetent,
inept and he relied on the probable cause half of David.
And that's just not my that's just not my deduction.
(16:35):
That's also the deduction later on of the Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals with three judges in twenty nineteen, one
of whom was Amy Coney Barrett, who lambasted not only
the lead detective but also the prosecutor stand Faith, and
also the two CSI guys, and that was Rodney England
(16:58):
and Rob Stites, his protege, And they that they spared
no words in their deduction in their judgment about those
four people, wilful, WillFull, and reckless.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
David, did you have a problem with the Indiana State
Police for whom you worked? Was there a superior officer
who was not a fan of yours? And so they
thought this was an opportunity to put something on you
that wasn't true.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Not at all. There were various reasons from events that
caused me to find myself in a position where I
wanted to move on from the United State Police. But
even at that time I still had a great love
for ISP. But no, there was nothing, nothing like that
(17:51):
on the table.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So what went sideways. Why how were you convicted of
murder that you did? I'll tell you this. I remember
seeing you walk out of whatever, and all the TV
cameras were on you.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Church.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Okay, but but I want to finish this question. I
saw you, and I thought to myself, now, this is
way back when you you had been convicted once perhaps,
and I thought if that were me, I'd be screaming
in front of those TV cameras. I didn't do this.
I didn't do this. So did you feel compelled to
do that at any time? You look like a defeated man, then.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah, pretty defeated. But as far as what you're referring to,
as far as screaming and saying I didn't do that,
there was I did that, brother, and that went on
between myself and the detectives at the time. You know,
I was very angry, and whenever they confronted me with
(18:51):
something like Dave, we've got a world renowned expert, or
he just didn't start doing this yesterday. Refer to Rod Englert,
and I have to be very careful what I say
about that individual because there are some legal parameters from
a settlement that so I have to dance around that,
(19:13):
but I told him, I'm like, I said, you better
find yourself another expert. I didn't care what they said
as far as his credentials. I knew he was wrong,
and I told them, right then.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You told your colleague. I told them, you're believing somebody
who's not good at what they do.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Absolutely absolutely, I confronted them with that. I'm like, I
don't care who he is or where he came from.
He's wrong. And as it turns out, you know, it
wasn't Rod, it was Rob Steitz, someone that Englert sent there,
who we later found out had never even had the
forty hour basic course for bloodstening power analysis. He had
(19:53):
never processed the crime scene before. The only time that
he ever spent at at a homicide scene was as
a small community police officer, where he simply guarded the scene.
He had absolutely no credentials to be doing what he did. Now,
in ISP's defense, stand faith represented this individual to be
(20:17):
all the things that those detectives told me.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
That's the prosecutor, yes, sir, that's the first protecute time, yes, sir.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
So they believed that bought into him being this world
renowned person. And as it turned out he was a
complete fraud. He has since, as part of the civil litigation,
apologized to me, but it was it was ultimately his
conclusions based upon his observations of things that he'd never
(20:49):
seen in any of the light before in any other cases.
And came to these determinations with assistants abroad. Englert via
a phone conference that I was high have lost the
impacts batter and that you know again, I told him,
I'm I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Care, he's going to stand. Yes, sir, you already referenced settlements.
You were in prison thirteen years, so they took thirteen
years of your life away, your free life, your opportunity
to earn, even though you're living with the misery of
lost family. Yes, sir, you settled something, so there was
some money that was exchanged. You have money from these settlements.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Yes, And the fact that these various settlements took place
is not a secret. But there are some elements of
portions of those settlements that I can't speak a lot to.
But as far as the state of Indiana, I can
speak of that, and there was you know what, I
(21:51):
guess now I look back and I'm like, you know what,
I shouldn't have settled for that, because you know, they
still never apologize to me or acknowledged what had happened.
But I think the monetary compensation speaks a lot. But yes,
we settled for to say, four point six million dollars.
And of course, my most wonderful friend and attorney, Gary Adams,
(22:15):
who is here from Louisville, he deservedly so he got
his portion of that. And then a very large portion
of that money went to repay all the folks that
supported me and helped pay all of the various debts
that came in association with presenting my defense legal bills.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yes, sir, do you have enough money that you don't
have to work anymore?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I do it. You know, it's I it's enough that
I can love the rest of my life and and
be okay without being extraordinarily dysfunctional. I don't know if
that's the right word with my money, but I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Gary stan Faith was the first prosecutor. Then we went
on to Keith Henderson. Right, what was flawed about what
he was doing?
Speaker 3 (23:13):
As well?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
He moved, he changed the narrative.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Right, No, he didn't, no, not at all.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
But he.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Wanted people to think that he changed the narrative and
he launched this big, quote unquote Fresh Eyes team. And
it later comes out in depositions that the fresh Eyes
were not looking at this as a cold case where
they're actually trying to find the real killer. And there
were so many leads that were missed, so many leads
that were dropped, evidence which was lost. They had nineteen
(23:43):
different people processing the crime scene from six different agencies.
It was incredibly fouled up. Stan Faith took control of it.
He even had his own non law enforcement, politically appointed
aids there collecting and losing evidence. Now so so when
Keith Henderson got it, he says fresh eyes, it wasn't
(24:07):
the The next lead, detective Gary Gilbert, he used the
same lies in the Affidavid recharging Dave after Dave's acquittal.
The lies even used the lie that Kim didn't sign
her life insurance application, and that was a lie. She
signed it totally. The the medical examiner that examined Jill
(24:37):
found external cut to her genitalia, Gary Gilbert, said it
was injuries to the vagina which was consistent with a
penis and or intercourse, and that was that was a
total fabrication. But what it did, it inflamed the public.
(24:59):
David Cam's a molester. How many how many times do
you have to say I didn't do it, I didn't
molest my child. No matter how many times it's out there,
the public believes it. And it was the slimest of slime.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
There was a sweatshirt left behind and it was tied
to this Charles Darnell Bonet right, ultimately crime scene that
ultimately put the spotlight on him. But then they also
we're trying to make it sound like David Cam was
part of the plot that he put Boney in this
(25:35):
situation to kill the family.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
They never none of these people in the justice system
could ever acknowledge we got it wrong. There their pride,
institutional pride, political pride, whatever, they couldn't allow that. So
when Bone and Boney was only identified as a result
of the defense Sam Lockhart, the defense teams, Mike McDaniel,
(25:57):
his wife, Debbie, Stacy Juliani, Kitty Lyle, the defense teams pressing, hey,
we need to find out who this sweatshirt belonged to.
And it turned out that the DNA found in the
collar was in the DNA was in the FBI's CODIS
DNA system for three years prior to when the murders occurred,
(26:20):
but yet stand faithlied and said it had been checked
in CODIS when it hadn't.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
The guy had a long record too of assault.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Oh my god, tackling five co eds at IU Indiana
University at night for their shoes. He was obsessed, sexually obsessed.
He even proudly called himself the shoe bandit. And then
when he gets out of prison for that, he immediately
almost a month, he takes his mother's gun and rob's
(26:52):
a rental place rental office, tries to abduct the two women,
is unsuccessful there. Week later, commits a home invasion on
the IU campus of three co eds and tries to
abduct them. Thank god, a neighbor sees this in process
caused the Blimington police officers. They respond and arrest him
(27:16):
a gunpoint in the car with a gun to the
back of one of the co ed's heads. And by
the way, he's threatening to quote unquote blow the effing
brains out of these victims plus others.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
David cam you were in close proximity with this man
that murdered your family. Ultimately, he was convicted of murdering
your family. Yes, sir, did you have the usual male
instinct of wanting to hurt him?
Speaker 3 (27:41):
I still have that instinct.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
How did he get fixated on your wife? He's there,
he kills your wife and your two children. But he
didn't just fall out of the sky. How did he
wind up in your garage?
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Well, you know, if we want to look at the facts,
the documented facts, and the relevant evidence opposed to supposition
and speculation. In my mind, there's one common denominator that
puts Bonet in close proximity with Kim, and that is
(28:24):
Karen's Meat Market, which is no longer there now, but
it is in New Aubany, and Kim's sister and son
in law, who I loved, wonderful people owned and Kim
was there at least once a week. And we know
that Bonet lived approximately a mile Gary or so, not that,
(28:47):
not even that, And we have it documented in part
of our investigation that they also shopped there and that
Bone would walk there, he and his mother would. That's
where they went. So we have this one location that
we know that they were both from time to time
(29:09):
in the same location. And I you know, part of
Bonet's explanation to the police, with their prompting as to
where and how he may have ran into me was
relevant to the parking lot of that same location, which
you know, that's what associopath does. You know, they take
(29:31):
a little bit of truth and then manipulate that to
a story that will fit their need. And I don't
think it's coincidental that he used that area, that parking
a lot, as a means to try to explain how
he and I may have ran in to each other,
even though it's just completely.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yes, you've got to go on and the rest of
your life without your children, without your wife. What is
it like at night when you are alone here? It
(30:17):
is twenty five years later, the fire still burns, doesn't it.
I mean you still you still have to still feel
the pain, yes, sir, But let me just try to
explain this.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
And it's hard for probably hard for people to understand
that haven't been through something like this. And number one,
you know, when you find yourself in those situations, you
have a choice. You can submit to the pain and
the sorrow and the suffering and endure that for the
remainder of your life. And that is a miserable way
(30:53):
to live. I you know, we have limited time on
this earth, brother, and and it's difficult. It was as
it was at times. You know, I chose to push
through it to make it. I made a decision that
(31:14):
I was going to make the best of the remainder
of my years here on this earth, and that's what
I've chosen to do. And they are there with me
all the time. But again, you know, a lot of
my peace comes from my belief that they are in
heaven and I'll see them again, So you know, I
(31:39):
have peace that gives me peace. So I don't know
if that answers your question or not, but that's not
something I don't worry about. Came riding to Joka, man,
I know where they are and again I know I'll
see them again. So it's my struggles come from just
(32:01):
the inevitable fact that I have compartment flies the pain
and occasionally it comes out, but for the most part,
I focused on making the best of each day and
doing what I can to make the world a better place.
And it's very important to me to share my faith
(32:22):
with people.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
You were in prison for thirteen years, you were acquitted.
What does that say about a lot of other people
in prison who say they're not guilty.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
I don't know what the percentages are, but we know
I'm not the only one. My friend and I have
various years attended the National Axonery conventions and so on,
and you hear the stories and they're not that dissimilar
from mine. And it is a flawed system that we have.
And now people say, well, it's the best system in
(32:57):
the world, and maybe so. I don't disagree with that.
In design, it is, but when you enter into that
just the natural human reflection of being a prosecutor or
a police officer in that situation, agenda has become a factor,
(33:20):
and it's flawed because of human frailties and the desire
to protect oneself and their position and so on. So
system is great in its design, but it fails because
of folks who allow their personal and political ambitions and
(33:42):
beliefs to enter into it.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
David Cam, I appreciate you spending me this time with
me this afternoon. Gary Dunn, thank you. The book is
called David Cam The Reckoning Part two.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Gary M.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Dunn is the author.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
May may I just please look, we're not We're not
here to try to convince anyone. We have no agenda
other than there's no money going to be made on this.
As Gary said earlier, if you want to know the truth,
everything in these books is factually documented. It's from depositions,
it's from interviews. It is not in question, and I
(34:20):
will debate that with anyone at any time as far
as the facts. But for those who are just simply
chosen to have a belief based upon what they saw
on TV or read in the paper and their value
evaluation of the situation based upon their experiences in life,
that's a mistake. If you truly want to know the truth,
(34:43):
then read the books, man, Just read them. And if
you have a questions, I'm on Facebook, you know, messenger
me because I will. I will lay out the facts to.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
You and people can come back to via social media.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Sure I whatever.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
David cam and Gary Dunn, thank you both for your
time and appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Thank you, thank it's been an honor to be here.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Back in a few on news radio Weight forty WHS
And it's Terry Miners of news Radio eight forty whas
in the studio with me is author Gary Dunn. He's
written the book called David Kam The Reckoning Part two. Gary,
welcome back. Is good to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hey, thank you, Terry. It's good to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
And David Cam is here in the studio with us. David,
I met you a little while ago. I really appreciate
you giving us time to talk with you about this
story that has rocked America from twenty five years ago.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, I appreciate you having us. It's a great honor
to be here with you.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I asked this question earlier, and it's off the book jacket.
How does David Cam get convicted of murder when he
has eleven alibi witnesses? Well, the story is deeply complex.
We saw it play out. Gary's written books about it
in great detail. But let's start with today. You went
to prison for thirteen years. Yes, sir, you saw your
(01:02):
wife and your children dead in the garage. Now that's
carnage most people could never overcome. And I see your
eyes missing.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
You already cried here in the studio before we got
on the air. How are you today, but it's a
new reality.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But to be perfectly honest, I have to say, considering
everything that I've been through the last five years, I'm blessed,
and people find that hard to believe to be in
the situation in which I currently find myself, I truly
am blessed.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
But the horror of finding your family dead and you
were then a used and convicted twice on this ultimately
acquitted various courts. Then we're going to get into some
of the complexity of all that you went to prison.
So after this first conviction, the door slams, You're in prison.
(02:20):
Tell me about your state of mind at that moment.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Well, I have to tell you, I never believed that
I would spend the rest of my life in prison.
I never thought that for a moment, And that's for
two reasons. Number One, I have a deep religious belief
in conviction, so I had that on my side. Secondarily
(02:48):
to that is I never believed that this would stand.
And I always believe that eventually the truth would expose itself.
So I always had those things in the forefront of
my mind, as difficult as it was going through the
day to day and moment to moment. But I truly
(03:09):
always believed that there would be a day, a reckoning,
if you will, and that the truth would be exposed
and that I would not have to spend the rest
of my life in prison.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I always believe that. But you were still speculating. You
didn't know you're in a dark prison. The doors slams.
Did the other inmates know that you were a former
state trooper?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Oh? Yeah, There are no secrets in prison. The two
things that there are a lot of in prison or
drugs and a gossip and talking behind individuals backs and
talking about individuals cases and so on. So it was
never it was never a secret, and it was, you know,
(03:57):
very well publicized, not just in southern indian and in
the Louisville metropolitan area, which was my home, but Indianapolis
as well, with it being such a huge case in
this state, and especially considering the fact that I was
an Indiana State trooper. So it was it was no
(04:18):
secret to the individuals.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
How often are you fixated on your wife's face, your
children's faces, and what you saw that night, but also
the joy that you've had with them prior to that night.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I spent virtually no time thinking about the atrocity in
which I found inside the garage. It's purely focused on
all the good and the kids and camera everywhere in.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
My house.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
And so and I know where they are, so I
don't worry about them, and I know that I'll see
them again. So I know that they are with the
Lord and they are good, and I focus more on that.
And but I you know, I have nightmares every night, Harry.
(05:19):
But it's not of what I found in the garage.
It's it's about dealing with being in prison and having
been in Indiana State Tripper, which I was very proud
of my career with the I s P. So there's
the duality of these two things, and somehow they come
(05:40):
together every night in my mind. And I, as I said,
I have nightmares every night relevant to that, But not
so much about Kim Bright and Jill in the garage
or Bonet. I believe I know Bonet's destiny unless there's
(06:00):
some humongous intercession into his life. Uh christ Wise, and
uh you know, so I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
He's the convicted killer. For those unaware, Charles Darnel, Bonnet
is the convicted killer. Yes, sir, you were accused of
aiding and abetting him. That was another part of another trial.
So this has lots of different layers. I want to
stay fixated on your family right now. Sure, Kim and
Bradley and Jill are gone. You are inferring that they're
(06:38):
they're in heaven. You'll see them again someday. I'm not inferring, brother,
I know, Okay. So in conversely, do you think do
you believe in Hell as well? Absolutely? And you think
that's bone a judgment. You think that's Bonet's ticket unless
he finds the Lord.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Absolutely, I would say based upon his most current activity,
and I have people in places that keep me attuned
to some of the things that he has going on
in his life and his attempts to be released from prison,
without divulging any of those individuals, just to give folks
(07:19):
an idea of who he truly is. If you were
to speak to Charles Darnell Bonet today, he would expect
you to call him doctor. Well, he has to be
called a doctor Bonet. That's what he wants to be
referred to. And that's simply based upon some online classes
or some booklets or something that he got from. I
(07:41):
think of a centurion ministries that he has completed and
he's been given this honorary doctorate degree and he wants
to be called doctor. And that's the sociopathic mentality of
this individual that the State of Indiana went out of
their way to protect.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Kim's family obviously was very upset with you. Have you
reconciled with them? Are you communicating with them at all?
I know there was legal action as well.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
No, no, no, and that breaks my heart. Early on
they chose a side, and I had written them a
letter early on and I said, look, I understand the
process and what's going to happen here, and they were
going they stand faith has to create a wedge between us,
(08:41):
because if you guys continue to fight for for me
and believe in me, it's going to hurt his case.
So various factors entered into the process of I think
manipulating them to get decide with him and his desires,
(09:03):
and ultimately they made that decision. And you know, Terry
with with with me in this situation. It's not the
kind of thing that you can be have a toe
in the water. You're either in or you're out. And
they were one hundred percent in. And like I said,
I think there were a lot of motivating factors behind that,
(09:26):
without getting into any of those details beyond what might
normally be considered by folks. Some of it's very disappointing.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Stan Fae being the first prosecutor.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Of course, right your book covers that in thorough details,
which we're gonna We're gonna do a second segment here
and talk more about what you've written. Is there any
way you can reconnect with Kim's family You've been acquitted.
They believe that a conviction, but don't believe the acquittal.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I think that would be an adequate description of the situation. Yeah,
and that's only my assumption because you know, I really
I'm not going to interject myself into their lives. I
don't want to create a disturbance for them, especially with
the highly probable situation of them not wanting that, so
(10:26):
it would be up to them to reach out. But
I just that's I truly believe that will never happen
because there are associated consequences for them attempting to reconnect
with me, and I don't think they want to face
those consequences and the realization of what they helped perpetrate,
(10:52):
and that including helping Charles Darnell Bounet stay free and
nearly remain free and never having based consequences for the
murder of my family.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Do you talk to your wife and children in that
place where they are.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
All the time? It's me and my dog right now.
And one of my favorite places to go is a
cemetery there in the town in which I live. And
I walked through there and I talked to those people
and read the gravestones and when they lived and when
(11:30):
they died, and I wonder about them, and that's where
I have my greatest communication with them. So, Yeah, they
are a huge element of my life and they always
will be.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Are you not able to visit your wife and children's graves?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Let me tell you for one, As I think I
mentioned to you earlier, I really feel like a part
of my loss is the loss of my hometown. Yeah.
And one of the first times that I went to
the gravesite to visit them, I had two people video
(12:12):
me with their phones, very intrusive, and that I have
never gotten over that. So many times that I've went
went and went to the grave site to visit with them,
it's either it had been early in the morning or
late in the evening because I can't get over that
fear that that's going to happen again. And that's not
(12:33):
a situation that I want to find myself in because
I don't like that. And the last thing I want
to do is have some sort of interaction with someone
that's going to give law enforcement and opportunity to come
after me for you know, some justified or non justified reason,
because I think they would just love that.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Are you confronted by people in public places who call
you a murderer?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Well, Number one, I don't live in this area. I
chose to move north and in the town in the
area where I live. Anyone that I meet that I'm
anticipating being close with, I make sure they know upfront.
It's not fair to not let them know that, especially
if we're Facebook friends or something, because I don't want
(13:19):
to get them to get any pushback unknowingly not realizing
my story and so on. So I make sure that
they know. And I have no issues. I've never had
an issue in that area. I don't spend a lot
of time in southern Indiana and the little of the
(13:40):
most proliton area, and again, that's very hurtful. It breaks
my heart, but I just don't want to find myself
in a situation where there's a possibility of something like
that transpiring. I just can't take the risk.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
David cam is the subject of the book The Reckoning
Part Two. The author is Gary Dunn. We're gonna continue
this conversation in about fifteen minutes at five oh five.
Thanks for being here, Thank you. We're coming back with
more than a few on news radio eight forty whas
you're a news Radio eight forty whas. Terry miners here.
We've been having a discussion with David cam former Indiana
(14:18):
state trooper whose family was killed at their home twenty
five years ago. He was convicted twice in this case,
ultimately acquitted in a third trial. Mister Camle, I appreciate
you hanging on to extend the conversation.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Thank you so much, Terry, I appreciate you absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Also in the studio is Gary Dunn, who's written a book,
Davidkam The Reckoning Part two, obviously a follow up to
your first visit to this case that's caught nationwide attention.
Mister Dunn, thank you for being.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Here as well, certainly, Terry, and again it's a thank
you for having us.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
I'm sure we're going to bring up the notion of,
oh my god, a beautiful family was murdered and there's
a book to make money. Please address this issue right away.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
That's absolutely hogwash. There's no money to be made on this.
But there is a very compelling story, a series of
stories to be told about how this atrocity occurred, and
it did occur, it was manufactured, and people say, well,
how did this happen? And quite frankly, the system cheated.
(15:33):
They cheated, the state police investigators, they cheated, they lied
on the original probable cause. Affidavid, and let me first
of all, have a caveat here. Certainly, the LAMB personnel
with the Indiana State Police were dynamite. They were excellent.
(15:55):
The DNA analyst, Lynn skamm Horn, the finger rent guy,
John Singleton, Ed Wessel, the firearms guy. They were all professional.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
It should be known that you're a former FBI agent
and investigator for twenty seven years.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
And I worked closely with the State Police for eighteen
of those years, and by god, we worked well, and
we worked professionally. But it didn't happen in David's case.
They put a lead detective in charge who was incompetent,
inept and he relied on the probable cause half of David.
And that's just not my that's just not my deduction.
(16:35):
That's also the deduction later on of the Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals with three judges in twenty nineteen, one
of whom was Amy Coney Barrett, who lambasted not only
the lead detective but also the prosecutor stand Faith, and
also the two CSI guys, and that was Rodney England
(16:58):
and Rob Stites, his protege, And they that they spared
no words in their deduction in their judgment about those
four people, wilful, WillFull, and reckless.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
David, did you have a problem with the Indiana State
Police for whom you worked? Was there a superior officer
who was not a fan of yours? And so they
thought this was an opportunity to put something on you
that wasn't true.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Not at all. There were various reasons from events that
caused me to find myself in a position where I
wanted to move on from the United State Police. But
even at that time I still had a great love
for ISP. But no, there was nothing, nothing like that
(17:51):
on the table.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
So what went sideways. Why how were you convicted of
murder that you did? I'll tell you this. I remember
seeing you walk out of whatever, and all the TV
cameras were on you.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Church.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Okay, but but I want to finish this question. I
saw you, and I thought to myself, now, this is
way back when you you had been convicted once perhaps,
and I thought if that were me, I'd be screaming
in front of those TV cameras. I didn't do this.
I didn't do this. So did you feel compelled to
do that at any time? You look like a defeated man, then.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah, pretty defeated. But as far as what you're referring to,
as far as screaming and saying I didn't do that,
there was I did that, brother, and that went on
between myself and the detectives at the time. You know,
I was very angry, and whenever they confronted me with
(18:51):
something like Dave, we've got a world renowned expert, or
he just didn't start doing this yesterday. Refer to Rod Englert,
and I have to be very careful what I say
about that individual because there are some legal parameters from
a settlement that so I have to dance around that,
(19:13):
but I told him, I'm like, I said, you better
find yourself another expert. I didn't care what they said
as far as his credentials. I knew he was wrong,
and I told them, right then.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You told your colleague. I told them, you're believing somebody
who's not good at what they do.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Absolutely absolutely, I confronted them with that. I'm like, I
don't care who he is or where he came from.
He's wrong. And as it turns out, you know, it
wasn't Rod, it was Rob Steitz, someone that Englert sent there,
who we later found out had never even had the
forty hour basic course for bloodstening power analysis. He had
(19:53):
never processed the crime scene before. The only time that
he ever spent at at a homicide scene was as
a small community police officer, where he simply guarded the scene.
He had absolutely no credentials to be doing what he did. Now,
in ISP's defense, stand faith represented this individual to be
(20:17):
all the things that those detectives told me.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
That's the prosecutor, yes, sir, that's the first protecute time, yes, sir.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
So they believed that bought into him being this world
renowned person. And as it turned out he was a
complete fraud. He has since, as part of the civil litigation,
apologized to me, but it was it was ultimately his
conclusions based upon his observations of things that he'd never
(20:49):
seen in any of the light before in any other cases.
And came to these determinations with assistants abroad. Englert via
a phone conference that I was high have lost the
impacts batter and that you know again, I told him,
I'm I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Care, he's going to stand. Yes, sir, you already referenced settlements.
You were in prison thirteen years, so they took thirteen
years of your life away, your free life, your opportunity
to earn, even though you're living with the misery of
lost family. Yes, sir, you settled something, so there was
some money that was exchanged. You have money from these settlements.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Yes, And the fact that these various settlements took place
is not a secret. But there are some elements of
portions of those settlements that I can't speak a lot to.
But as far as the state of Indiana, I can
speak of that, and there was you know what, I
(21:51):
guess now I look back and I'm like, you know what,
I shouldn't have settled for that, because you know, they
still never apologize to me or acknowledged what had happened.
But I think the monetary compensation speaks a lot. But yes,
we settled for to say, four point six million dollars.
And of course, my most wonderful friend and attorney, Gary Adams,
(22:15):
who is here from Louisville, he deservedly so he got
his portion of that. And then a very large portion
of that money went to repay all the folks that
supported me and helped pay all of the various debts
that came in association with presenting my defense legal bills.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yes, sir, do you have enough money that you don't
have to work anymore?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I do it. You know, it's I it's enough that
I can love the rest of my life and and
be okay without being extraordinarily dysfunctional. I don't know if
that's the right word with my money, but I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Gary stan Faith was the first prosecutor. Then we went
on to Keith Henderson. Right, what was flawed about what
he was doing?
Speaker 3 (23:13):
As well?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
He moved, he changed the narrative.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Right, No, he didn't, no, not at all.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
But he.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Wanted people to think that he changed the narrative and
he launched this big, quote unquote Fresh Eyes team. And
it later comes out in depositions that the fresh Eyes
were not looking at this as a cold case where
they're actually trying to find the real killer. And there
were so many leads that were missed, so many leads
that were dropped, evidence which was lost. They had nineteen
(23:43):
different people processing the crime scene from six different agencies.
It was incredibly fouled up. Stan Faith took control of it.
He even had his own non law enforcement, politically appointed
aids there collecting and losing evidence. Now so so when
Keith Henderson got it, he says fresh eyes, it wasn't
(24:07):
the The next lead, detective Gary Gilbert, he used the
same lies in the Affidavid recharging Dave after Dave's acquittal.
The lies even used the lie that Kim didn't sign
her life insurance application, and that was a lie. She
signed it totally. The the medical examiner that examined Jill
(24:37):
found external cut to her genitalia, Gary Gilbert, said it
was injuries to the vagina which was consistent with a
penis and or intercourse, and that was that was a
total fabrication. But what it did, it inflamed the public.
(24:59):
David Cam's a molester. How many how many times do
you have to say I didn't do it, I didn't
molest my child. No matter how many times it's out there,
the public believes it. And it was the slimest of slime.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
There was a sweatshirt left behind and it was tied
to this Charles Darnell Bonet right, ultimately crime scene that
ultimately put the spotlight on him. But then they also
we're trying to make it sound like David Cam was
part of the plot that he put Boney in this
(25:35):
situation to kill the family.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
They never none of these people in the justice system
could ever acknowledge we got it wrong. There their pride,
institutional pride, political pride, whatever, they couldn't allow that. So
when Bone and Boney was only identified as a result
of the defense Sam Lockhart, the defense teams, Mike McDaniel,
(25:57):
his wife, Debbie, Stacy Juliani, Kitty Lyle, the defense teams pressing, hey,
we need to find out who this sweatshirt belonged to.
And it turned out that the DNA found in the
collar was in the DNA was in the FBI's CODIS
DNA system for three years prior to when the murders occurred,
(26:20):
but yet stand faithlied and said it had been checked
in CODIS when it hadn't.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
The guy had a long record too of assault.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Oh my god, tackling five co eds at IU Indiana
University at night for their shoes. He was obsessed, sexually obsessed.
He even proudly called himself the shoe bandit. And then
when he gets out of prison for that, he immediately
almost a month, he takes his mother's gun and rob's
(26:52):
a rental place rental office, tries to abduct the two women,
is unsuccessful there. Week later, commits a home invasion on
the IU campus of three co eds and tries to
abduct them. Thank god, a neighbor sees this in process
caused the Blimington police officers. They respond and arrest him
(27:16):
a gunpoint in the car with a gun to the
back of one of the co ed's heads. And by
the way, he's threatening to quote unquote blow the effing
brains out of these victims plus others.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
David cam you were in close proximity with this man
that murdered your family. Ultimately, he was convicted of murdering
your family. Yes, sir, did you have the usual male
instinct of wanting to hurt him?
Speaker 3 (27:41):
I still have that instinct.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
How did he get fixated on your wife? He's there,
he kills your wife and your two children. But he
didn't just fall out of the sky. How did he
wind up in your garage?
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Well, you know, if we want to look at the facts,
the documented facts, and the relevant evidence opposed to supposition
and speculation. In my mind, there's one common denominator that
puts Bonet in close proximity with Kim, and that is
(28:24):
Karen's Meat Market, which is no longer there now, but
it is in New Aubany, and Kim's sister and son
in law, who I loved, wonderful people owned and Kim
was there at least once a week. And we know
that Bonet lived approximately a mile Gary or so, not that,
(28:47):
not even that, And we have it documented in part
of our investigation that they also shopped there and that
Bone would walk there, he and his mother would. That's
where they went. So we have this one location that
we know that they were both from time to time
(29:09):
in the same location. And I you know, part of
Bonet's explanation to the police, with their prompting as to
where and how he may have ran into me was
relevant to the parking lot of that same location, which
you know, that's what associopath does. You know, they take
(29:31):
a little bit of truth and then manipulate that to
a story that will fit their need. And I don't
think it's coincidental that he used that area, that parking
a lot, as a means to try to explain how
he and I may have ran in to each other,
even though it's just completely.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Yes, you've got to go on and the rest of
your life without your children, without your wife. What is
it like at night when you are alone here? It
(30:17):
is twenty five years later, the fire still burns, doesn't it.
I mean you still you still have to still feel
the pain, yes, sir, But let me just try to
explain this.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
And it's hard for probably hard for people to understand
that haven't been through something like this. And number one,
you know, when you find yourself in those situations, you
have a choice. You can submit to the pain and
the sorrow and the suffering and endure that for the
remainder of your life. And that is a miserable way
(30:53):
to live. I you know, we have limited time on
this earth, brother, and and it's difficult. It was as
it was at times. You know, I chose to push
through it to make it. I made a decision that
(31:14):
I was going to make the best of the remainder
of my years here on this earth, and that's what
I've chosen to do. And they are there with me
all the time. But again, you know, a lot of
my peace comes from my belief that they are in
heaven and I'll see them again, So you know, I
(31:39):
have peace that gives me peace. So I don't know
if that answers your question or not, but that's not
something I don't worry about. Came riding to Joka, man,
I know where they are and again I know I'll
see them again. So it's my struggles come from just
(32:01):
the inevitable fact that I have compartment flies the pain
and occasionally it comes out, but for the most part,
I focused on making the best of each day and
doing what I can to make the world a better place.
And it's very important to me to share my faith
(32:22):
with people.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
You were in prison for thirteen years, you were acquitted.
What does that say about a lot of other people
in prison who say they're not guilty.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
I don't know what the percentages are, but we know
I'm not the only one. My friend and I have
various years attended the National Axonery conventions and so on,
and you hear the stories and they're not that dissimilar
from mine. And it is a flawed system that we have.
And now people say, well, it's the best system in
(32:57):
the world, and maybe so. I don't disagree with that.
In design, it is, but when you enter into that
just the natural human reflection of being a prosecutor or
a police officer in that situation, agenda has become a factor,
(33:20):
and it's flawed because of human frailties and the desire
to protect oneself and their position and so on. So
system is great in its design, but it fails because
of folks who allow their personal and political ambitions and
(33:42):
beliefs to enter into it.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
David Cam, I appreciate you spending me this time with
me this afternoon. Gary Dunn, thank you. The book is
called David Cam The Reckoning Part two.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Gary M.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
Dunn is the author.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
May may I just please look, we're not We're not
here to try to convince anyone. We have no agenda
other than there's no money going to be made on this.
As Gary said earlier, if you want to know the truth,
everything in these books is factually documented. It's from depositions,
it's from interviews. It is not in question, and I
(34:20):
will debate that with anyone at any time as far
as the facts. But for those who are just simply
chosen to have a belief based upon what they saw
on TV or read in the paper and their value
evaluation of the situation based upon their experiences in life,
that's a mistake. If you truly want to know the truth,
(34:43):
then read the books, man, Just read them. And if
you have a questions, I'm on Facebook, you know, messenger
me because I will. I will lay out the facts to.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
You and people can come back to via social media.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Sure I whatever.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
David cam and Gary Dunn, thank you both for your
time and appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Thank you, thank it's been an honor to be here.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Back in a few on news radio Weight forty WHS
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