The boyfriend of a Washington, D.C., police officer who was murdered 30 years ago has been charged in connection with her death.
Amir Jalil Ali was arrested for the killing of Denna Fredericka Campbell, who was 24 years old when she was shot and killed in 1995, according to a press release from Montgomery County, Md., police.
Campbell had served as a D.C. police officer for four years at the time of her death. She was discovered in her shared White Oak apartment on September 16, 1995, with five gunshot wounds, police said.
Ali, known as Kenneth Burnell Wonsom at the time, reportedly called police to report a burglary and said his girlfriend had been shot. He told authorities that he had left the apartment around 3 a.m. and found Campbell unresponsive upon returning, according to police.
Campbell’s service weapon remains missing.
The Associated Press cited a police report revealing that Campbell had expressed fear of her boyfriend and often slept with her department-issued firearm under her pillow. She reportedly told a colleague, “If I don’t show up for work Saturday, you’ll know he killed me and buried me somewhere.”
Police said Ali, now 62, was initially charged with Campbell’s murder shortly after her death, but the charges were dropped months later. He legally changed his name in 2021.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy told the AP he was unsure why the charges were dismissed in 1995, noting that a predecessor held his position at the time.
“Our detectives showed true grit and determination, never giving up as they continued to re-examine evidence and follow leads as they emerged,” said Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada. “This arrest represents significant progress in a long-standing investigation, and we hope that it brings some measure of closure to Officer Campbell’s family, friends, and fellow officers who have waited three decades for justice.”
