Almost 30 years after an off-duty D.C. police officer was found shot to death in her Silver Spring, Maryland, home, police arrested her then-boyfriend Tuesday for a second time in the homicide case.
Police first charged Kenneth Wonsom with 24-year-old Deena Campbell’s murder in 1995 but dropped the charge two months later. The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office has not said why.
It’s unclear what recently changed in the investigation, but officers arrested Wonsom in Laurel and charged him with first-degree murder.
On Sept. 16, 1995, Wonsom told police he went to the store early that morning and returned to the apartment to find the front door open and his girlfriend dead inside.
“He described it as being approximately 3 inches ajar when he got home,” Montgomery County police Det. Paula Hamill said in June as police gave new attention to the case. “He had said that he locked the bottom and top lock upon leaving at 3:20 a.m.”
When police arrived, they found the keys in the door.
Several witnesses told investigators they heard gunshots around the time Wonsom says he left the apartment, Hamill said. One witness said they heard five gunshots — the same number of times Campbell was shot.
Campbell’s police-issued service weapon was missing and never was found.
A message Wonsom left on Campbell’s answering machine said, “Hey, boo, I’m on my way home. I was just calling to see if you wanted something. I should be there — it’s 4:05 — I should be there about 15, 20 minutes. I’m stopping to get some Listerine and a couple of sodas. Love you. Bye bye.”
But in his interview police, Wonsom told investigators those where the items Campbell already asked him to go to the store for, Hamill said.
Investigators also learned Campbell told friends she was scared of Wonsom and wanted to move out of the apartment.
“One of her beat partners that she worked with in D.C. that, like, worked in an adjoining beat with her, she had spoken to him as recently as Thursday before she was killed — so, two nights before — and told him if I don’t come show up for work on Saturday, then you’ll know he killed me,” Hamill said.
Police announced an arrest in the case on X Tuesday afternoon. More details will be provided at a news conference Wednesday.
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