"The court said, 'you can't talk about Jill being molested without actual proof of her being molested.'" — Britt
"The defense said, 'Look, there is no story. Anyone has presented that matches Charles attacking the family, which is clearly what happened because the DNA proves that, and then David shooting them.'" — Britt
"The thing that people need to know about Bonnet, 11 previous felony convictions for assaulting women. That's what he's done his whole life, assault women. These three girls that he took hostage in Bloomington, Indiana, he had a gun to the girl's head and threatened to blow their heads off. It's exactly what he did to Kim." — David Camm (as reported by Ashley Flowers)
This episode explores the decades-long legal saga of David Camm, who was accused and initially convicted of the murders of his wife, Kim, and their two children, Brad and Jill, in September 2000. The crime scene was characterized by its unusual cleanliness and execution-style killings. The prosecution's initial case heavily relied on David's alleged infidelity as motive and microscopic blood spatter found on his sweatshirt, which an expert claimed indicated he was the shooter. However, the defense presented an alternative theory for the blood spatter, suggesting it was consistent with David leaning over his son.
David Camm was initially convicted in 2002, but this verdict was overturned by the Indiana Court of Appeals due to the admission of evidence regarding his affairs, which was deemed prejudicial. A second trial focused on the alleged molestation of his daughter, Jill, as a motive. This conviction was also overturned, this time because the court ruled that the evidence of molestation was insufficient and lacked corroboration. During this period, crucial DNA evidence from the crime scene, including on a sweatshirt found near Brad's body and on Kim's belongings, was identified as belonging to Charles Bonet, a convicted felon with a history of assaulting women, and who also used the nickname "Backbone."
The case took a significant turn with the discovery of Bonet's DNA and palm print at the scene, leading to his arrest and the subsequent dismissal of charges against David Camm. However, a new theory emerged alleging conspiracy between David and Charles, leading to a third trial for David. Charles Bonet testified, offering conflicting accounts, eventually claiming he witnessed David commit the murders. Despite this, DNA evidence found on victims' clothing pointed to Charles's direct contact, not necessarily as a co-conspirator but as the perpetrator. In a surprising move, the judge allowed the jury to consider a lesser charge of aiding Charles, rather than direct involvement. Ultimately, in 2013, David Camm was found not guilty, after over 13 years of legal battles, with widespread accusations of prosecutorial misconduct and mishandling of evidence being leveled against the prosecution.