Murder of Samantha Runnion
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| Samantha Runnion | |
| Born | July 26, 1996 Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Died | July 15, 2002 (aged 5) Riverside County, California |
Samantha Bree Runnion (July 26, 1996 - July 15, 2002) was an American murder victim.
[edit] Kidnap and murder
Samantha was kidnapped, sexually abused and killed by a man who lured her from her front yard by telling her he had lost his dog. Samantha, born in Massachusetts and a resident of Stanton, California, at the time of her death, was about to turn six when she died. Her battered, naked body was found the following day by two men who were hang gliding off the mountainside near Ortega Highway in Riverside County, California. The autopsy revealed that she died from a crushed abdomen. A sample of DNA was also found under her fingernail.
The suspect, a Lake Elsinore, California, man named Alejandro Avila, was convicted for the crime in 2005. His DNA matched the one found on Samantha's body, and a sample of her own DNA was found in his car. He was arrested three days after the abduction. Avila had previously been to the apartment complex where the Runnions lived, as his ex-girlfriend and her daughter had also lived there. His relationship with the woman ended in 2000. He had also been charged in 2001 with molesting the ex-girlfriend's nine-year-old daughter and another girl but was acquitted. Avila was not on the California Sex Offenders Register as he had not been convicted of any offenses. On May 16, 2005, the jury recommended that he receive the death penalty. On July 22, 2005, the judge in the case formally sentenced Avila to death.
[edit] Joyful Child Foundation
The Joyful Child Foundation was established in her memory. It aims to facilitate the development of child watch programs in local communities through the U.S. through the Samantha's Pride program. In addition, it also seeks to encourage research and development into the psyche of predators and develop communication programs for parents and children.
