Murder of Samantha Runnion

Samantha Runnion
Born
Samantha Bree Runnion

(1996-07-26)July 26, 1996
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 15, 2002(2002-07-15) (aged 5)
Cleveland National Forest, Riverside County, California, U.S.
Cause of deathHomicide by strangulation
Known forMurder victim
Parent(s)Derek Jackson (father)
Erin Runnion (mother)

Samantha Bree (Jackson) Runnion (July 26, 1996 – July 15, 2002) was a five-year-old girl abducted from outside her home in Stanton, California, and murdered.[1]

Kidnapping and murder

On July 15, 2002, Runnion was playing a board game with a friend in her front yard[2] when a man approached them asking for help in finding his lost dog. After a short conversation, the man grabbed Samantha, forced her into his car, and drove away. A day later, her nude body was found 50 miles south in Cleveland National Forest.[1][3][4] The autopsy revealed that Runnion had been sexually assaulted both vaginally and anally. She had suffered at least two blows to her head, which occurred at least half an hour before she died. The trauma caused Runnion's brain to swell. The pathologist believed: "She died as a result of mechanical asphyxiation through a compression of the neck, with the blunt force trauma to the head contributing significantly to it as well." It could not be determined exactly what caused the compression of the neck. The pathologist estimated that Runnion had died between 8 p.m. on July 15 and 2 a.m. on July 16. Police said that the killer was "extremely sloppy" and had left behind "mountains of physical evidence connecting him to the crime."

Alejandro Avila of Lake Elsinore, California, was arrested three days after the abduction. His DNA was found on Runnion's body, and her DNA was found in his car. Avila had previously visited his girlfriend in the condominium complex where Samantha lived and had been acquitted of molesting his girlfriend's daughter and niece. Police found child pornography on Avila's laptop computer, and he had booked a motel room on the day of the murder, where it was believed that Runnion was killed. Avila's public defender argued during the trial that he could not have kidnapped the girl, abused, murdered, and then dumped her body 50 miles away in one day as the prosecution believed.

On May 16, 2005, a jury returned a guilty verdict, and Avila was sentenced to death. He is incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison on death row. Samantha's mother, Erin Runnion, launched a foundation called "The Joyful Child Foundation," whose mission is "Preventing crimes against children through programs that educate, empower, and unite families and communities."[5] Avila has filed multiple appeals since the initial verdict, but none of them have been successful.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "TruTV photo gallery of the case". truTV. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  2. ^ NewsActive3 (October 3, 2015). "KTLA 10pm News, July 15, 2002". Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Montaldo, Charles. “911 Call Transcript - Finding Samantha Runnion's Body," Archived 2013-03-31 at the Wayback Machine About.com Guide. Retrieved on April 1, 2013.
  4. ^ Bragg, Rick. “Man Arrested in California Case Of Child's Abduction and Killing," Archived 2018-07-31 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times, July 20, 2002. Retrieved on April 1, 2013.
  5. ^ "Death Row Tracking System Condemned Inmate List (Secure)" (PDF). California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2010.
  6. ^ "State high court upholds death penalty for Samantha Runnion's killer". Los Angeles Times. July 1, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  7. ^ "The People of the State of California Vs. Alejandro Avila Appeal" (PDF). November 20, 2013.
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