Published: June 11, 2009 10:36 pm      

Déjà vu in 2003 manslaughter case

Dawn McDowell sentenced to 40 years in prison a second time

Deloris Hosler is praying this will be the last time she has to walk into a courtroom to hear Dawn McDowell speak about how she killed Hosler’s son, Christopher Crume, six years ago.

Hosler and her family have endured two trials and now two sentences for McDowell, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for voluntary manslaughter in the June 25, 2003, stabbing death of Crume.

“I hope we don’t have to go through this again,” said Hosler after the sentencing.

As in the first sentencing, Howard Circuit Court Judge Lynn Murray suspended five years of the 40-year term, and ordered the five years be served on supervised probation with the condition she complete mental treatment and counseling upon her prison release.

Despite showing remorse and begging Hosler and other family for forgiveness, McDowell, 43, said she would appeal the sentence — legal move that upset the family.

“She said she’s willing to take responsibility for her action, then turns around and said she wants to appeal it,” Hosler said. “That’s not right. I wake up every morning thinking about my son. We try to remember the happy times, but he’s gone. We’ve been through enough. I have forgiven her, but she still needs to be punished.”

Crume’s older brother, Geovonne Crume, believes she should have gotten life for killing his brother.

“You take a life, you should get life,” he said. “When she gets out, she will live her life. My brother does not have a life.”

McDowell pleaded and wept during a non-sworn statement to the Crume family.

“I’m so sorry for what happened that night,” she said. “I can’t change that, but I am changed now. I stabbed Chris, but I didn’t want Chris to die. I really didn’t, Deloris. Yes, I deserve time, but not what you want me to serve. I’ve given my life to God. I was not a good person.”

McDowell then clutched her chest and continued weeping.

“I’m so sorry, Deloris, I really am. Please forgive me.”

McDowell then turned to Murray and pleaded for leniency.

“Honestly, I didn’t want him to die,” she said.

McDowell’s attorney, Gary Cook, tried to convince Murray to give McDowell 20 years instead of 40 and said her life of abuse, alcohol and drug addiction should be considered as a mitigating factor.

Murray didn’t buy Cook’s plea for leniency or McDowell’s apology.

“An abusive childhood is not a mitigating factor,” Murray said sternly. “A lot of people were abused as kids, but they don’t commit voluntary manslaughter.”

Murray rendered her decision after hearing two hours of emotional testimony from Hosler, her family and several friends and church members of McDowell’s.

In 2006, a jury in the same court convicted McDowell of aggravated battery, involuntary manslaughter and voluntary manslaughter in Crume’s death after a week-long trial.

Then, in May 2008, the Indiana Supreme Court reversed the voluntary manslaughter conviction in the case, ruling that a court instruction to the jury was improper. The Supreme Court reinstated the other two convictions because they were not part of the appeal.

A second jury then convicted McDowell, 40, in January after a week-long trial.

According to testimony at both trials, McDowell and Crume, who were in a relationship at the time of the stabbing, had an altercation in Crume’s car after a night of drinking. She said she was being confined by Crume, and that she was attempting to escape when she stabbed him in the neck with a paring knife as the couple drove in Crume’s vehicle in eastern Howard County.

“I’m just glad this has come to a conclusion, even though she expressed she wants to appeal,” said Howard County chief deputy prosecutor Mark McCann. “I feel the sentence was appropriate. Hopefully, everyone can move on with their lives.”

• Mike Fletcher is the Kokomo Tribune crime reporter. He can be reached at (765) 454-8577 or mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com.