On a tragic autumn day in 2021, the life of Constance Maria Murphy, a 54-year-old White/Caucasian woman, was cut short in her Applegate home near Jacksonville, Oregon. Remembered by friends and family as a remarkably empathetic, caring, and creative person, Constance was the editorial manager for a medical journal and a beloved figure in her community, evidenced by the more than 200 people who would later gather for her funeral.
Her death on October 20, 2021, was the result of a domestic violence homicide, a violent end to a life that had been dedicated to kindness and creativity.
The perpetrator of this act was her estranged husband, 56-year-old David Allen Karnes. In the time leading up to the fatal incident, the couple had been separated for a significant period. On that Wednesday, Karnes went to Constance's home, where an altercation ensued. He shot her twice in the torso, with both wounds proving to be fatal. A friend who was present at the time managed to escape the horrific scene. In a strange turn of events, Karnes himself called 911 and attempted to perform life-saving measures on his estranged wife. However, he was evasive with the dispatcher and hung up when it became clear that Constance had passed away. Before a SWAT team could enter the residence, Karnes turned the gun on himself, inflicting a head wound that he would survive.
Following his arrest, David Allen Karnes was initially charged with second-degree murder. However, in a plea bargain that spared Constance's family the further trauma of a jury trial, he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon. In September 2023, a judge sentenced him to a total of 25 years in prison – 20 years for manslaughter and a consecutive five-year sentence for the weapons charge. During the sentencing, the judge acknowledged Karnes's acceptance of responsibility but also lamented that his struggles with alcohol had not been addressed sooner, suggesting the tragedy might have been avoided.
In the courtroom, the profound loss of Constance Maria Murphy was palpable as her loved ones gave their victim impact statements. Her daughter, in a hushed and tense moment, spoke directly to her father. His attorney stated that Karnes felt remorse but had no memory of the specifics of that night due to his self-inflicted gunshot wound. The family remembered Constance as a wonderful person and spoke of the troubled nature of her relationship with Karnes, suggesting he took her life when it became clear she no longer wanted him in it. The court proceedings brought a legal conclusion to a deeply personal and devastating chapter for a family and community left to mourn a vibrant life taken too soon.
