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Witness Statement: Chris Thurman
Thurman is director of the Summer Sun Day
Camp.
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I became involved in the investigation at the request
of the Sheriff's Department. They were looking for a
child who might have been involved in the Purity Knight
case, and they held a training session for camp and
daycare staff so we could be on the lookout.
- Dylan came to my attention during the first week of
our camp. He was withdrawn and counselors had difficulty
drawing him into games, songs, and other group
activities. We sometimes get really shy kids but most of
them loosen up after the first couple of days and make
some friends. Dylan was different - he really kept to
himself. He gave the impression of being someone who
spent a lot of time alone.
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- A couple of kids who approached Dylan in the first
week were given rough treatment. One boy, Jerry Brownne,
was persistent about trying to include Dylan in an
ongoing game of tag with a group of kids during the
outdoor play periods. Jerry had taken Dylan by the arm
and was trying to coax him to join the group. Dylan
called Jerry a "maggot" and elbowed him pretty hard and
knocked him over, then ran off to the far edge of the
playing field. One of the counselors approached Dylan and
had a talk with him, during which Dylan apparently said
he wanted to go to the library and didn't like to play.
Dylan later apologized to Jerry, but he never did join
the game of tag.
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- Another incident involved Luke, who was Dylan's only
friend at the camp. It was in the second week. Luke
climbed up on the jungle gym and refused to come down
because he said he was scared of touching the ground. He
said Dylan had told him the school had been built on top
of a cemetary and all the ghosts might come up at any
time and grab them. It took a couple of counselors maybe
an hour or so to convince Luke to come down. When
confronted, Dylan repeated his story to me. I asked him
if he was scared by the ghosts, and he said he wasn't,
because he was a "ghostbuster" and possessed special
powers. I asked him whether he could use those powers to
save Luke if the ghosts came, and Dylan replied that he
was pretty sure "nothing could help Luke. He's a goner."
He was very calm about this, even though as I said Luke
was his only friend.
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- At the end of the second week I was concerned enough
to call Dylan's mother and discuss the matter. I told her
I felt like Dylan was not really enjoying the camp and
wasn't getting much of a growing experience. Sometimes in
these situations parents have suggestions, such as
playing a certain game the child likes or singing certain
songs to help them feel more at home and more interested
in the activities. I did get through to Bonnie and we had
a talk, but she seemed unconcerned about the situation.
She said Dylan was a "weird kid, but a good kid" and she
thought he was doing fine. Bonnie said she's divorced and
raising him on her own. She said she works full-time
during the school year and part-time in the summer. It
sounded like a tough situation, but I was concerned
because Bonnie seemed to be completely distanced from
Dylan - I had the impression she wasn't really up to
taking on the job of raising a kid and had maybe given up
on it.
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- However, after my conversation with Bonnie Dylan
seemed to settle down a little. By then it was the third
week of the camp. I asked him and Luke to be in charge of
feeding the iguana - I have a pet iguana and keep him in
the classroom while camp is in session, and each week a
couple of people are in charge of taking care of it. Luke
and Dylan were very reliable and went to the extra step
of finding some more branches to add to the habitat in
the iguana's terrarium. Dylan in particular would check
on the animal first thing every morning and at every
available free moment during the day. I remarked that he
seemed to be making good friends with the iguana, and
Dylan said he was just trying to make sure he (the
iguana) was comfortable and safe. I asked Dylan what
things might hurt the iguana or make it unsafe, and Dylan
said he once had a goldfish who died in the bowl when he
changed the water.
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- All of these incidents contributed to my suspicion
that Dylan might possibly be involved with the Knight
case. However, the art projects he completed on July 22
and 23 were the determining factors. I saw the drawings
on July 23 in the afternoon, and immediately contacted
the sheriff's department saying that I thought we had a
possible match with the boy they were looking for. At
their request, I asked Dylan if I could have his artwork.
He gave them to me without complaint but asked if they
would be safe. I said they would and promised to return
them when I was through looking at them.
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- After I reported the incident, Dylan did not return
to the camp. I have been apprised of the fact that the
department is following up and that Dylan is staying with
relatives out of town.
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- Signed,
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- Chris Thurman
July 29, 1997
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