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Dear Editor:

In light of the recent statement released by the District Attorney R. Andrew Womble regarding the public scrutiny surrounding the death of Amanda Leeann Fletcher in Dare County on July 25, 2020, three days before her 39^th birthday, I have decided to release my own statement regarding the continued deception and negligence of Dare County officials.

The public is not necessarily questioning an arrest of the so called “boyfriend,” but rather the lack of any type of investigation to further support that a crime had been committed, starting with the first officers on the scene. The integrity of law enforcement, and now the DA’s office, is most definitely being called into question. As District Attorney you “took an oath to do justice and to relentlessly pursue the truth wherever it may lead;” however, you continue to conceal the truth about this investigation, or lack thereof.

The public needs to be aware that the powers at be, who are elected to serve our communities, are not only deceiving the public regarding this case, but are purposely not following up on hard evidence provided by a professional private investigator that was hired by the family of the victim. That investigator has collected evidence and taken statements because the Kitty Hawk Police Department would do neither. It is my opinion that it is inappropriate and counterproductive of Joel Johnson, the Kitty Hawk Chief of Police, to not cooperate with the hired investigators, and based on the advice of the Sherriff, the investigator had to submit his evidence to the Assistant District Attorney instead.

Every 9 seconds in the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten. According to the NCSBI website, “reporting of domestic violence-related homicides is an ongoing requirement for all local and state law enforcement agencies.” North Carolina General Statute 143B-901 directs all state and local law enforcement agencies to report specific information regarding domestic violence related homicides, to the NC Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety, in consultation with the North Carolina Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, and the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police, have developed a reporting system and database that reflects the number of homicides in North Carolina where the offender and the victim had a personal relationship, and in Dare County between 2012 and 2018, there were three reported homicides. We must also not forget about Denise Johnson, a resident of Kill Devil Hills that was murdered on July 13, 1997, whose case was never solved, even with the assistance of the SBI and FBI.

The criminal justice system in Dare County has become an object of ridicule in this community. It’s basically become a business, where drug busts and DUI’s make more money for the county and therefore require more attention than assault and murder cases. Is this the way Dare County wants to be represented, where families have to pay thousands of dollars for justice? It’s heart wrenching and unconscionable to watch as our local law enforcement treat a Dare County native, born and raised here, inconsequential, and disregarded.

Sincerely,

Victoria Williams

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