In the quiet suburban setting of Shawnee, Kansas, a grim discovery was made on the evening of September 18, 2022. Inside an apartment in the 7400 block of Flint Street, 25-year-old Kathleen J. Dampier was found deceased. A Black/African American female, Dampier had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The initial call to authorities was for a medical emergency, but upon arrival, an officer heard what sounded like gunfire from within the apartment building.
As the tragic scene
unfolded, a person was seen attempting to leave the building and was promptly taken into custody along with another individual. The investigation quickly identified a primary suspect, Doniel Lee Sublett Jr., who was the victim's boyfriend. The relationship between Dampier and Sublett, described as on-and-off for at least three years, had a history of domestic violence. Sublett, who resided in the same apartment block where Dampier was found, was arrested near the scene after a brief foot chase.
The investigation took an even more heart-wrenching turn when an autopsy revealed that Kathleen Dampier was pregnant at the time of her murder. This led to a second charge of first-degree murder against Sublett under Alexa's Law, a Kansas statute that allows for such charges when an act of violence against a pregnant person results in the death of the fetus. According to court documents, Dampier and Sublett had gone to the apartment to do laundry together before the fatal shooting occurred. A witness was present at the time of the shooting, and another gunshot was heard as police were arriving at the scene.
Doniel Lee Sublett Jr. was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He initially denied being at the apartment during the shooting. However, he later pleaded guilty to both murders in November of the following year. Subsequently, a Johnson County judge sentenced Sublett to two concurrent life sentences. Under the "Hard 50" sentencing, he will not be eligible for parole for the first fifty years. Kathleen Dampier was a mother of three.
