Last week, we stood up for Kami. Her voice can no longer be heard, but there were people willing to speak for her. On August 21, 2014, Kami was beat very badly by her husband. This wasn't the first time. We had seen signs of it and had told her to come home on several occasions.
Jeff is an evil, vindictive person, but Kami didn't see that. She was blinded by his promises and manipulative words. She didn't know Jeff for very long before they got married and he was 20 years older than her. No matter how much we tried to get Kami to see that it wasn't a good choice, if you have read my previous posts, you know she had a mind of her own. Once we knew that Kami was going to go through with marrying him anyway, we embraced him. We knew that Kami loved him and there must have been something that she saw in him that we weren't seeing. We knew that the only way to see Kami, was if we made him part of our family and for some unknown reason, Kami loved him.
Kami made some very poor choices during her high school years that led her to be in the same circles as someone like Jeff. She had so much potential and life in her, despite some of her choices, until she met him. He dragged her into a dark and drug infested world. He had a fiancé 10 years before he met Kami that had died by suicide as well. Another person he made feel like there was no way out. Kami might have pulled the trigger on August 28th, but if he wasn't there with her, he might as well have been.
I was contacted by the Denver District Attorney about 2 months after Kami passed away. I got a phone call on my cell phone looking for Kami Harper Rodocker. As I listened to the message, it shook my very being to the core. My stomach was in knots. I called her back and she didn't answer so the next day I called her again and received an answer. Her name was Jenny. She wanted me to know that Jeff had been arrested for the domestic violence case. (There had been a warrant out for his arrest since that night). I explained to her that Kami had died by suicide and was no longer with us. I asked her questions about the case and she told me that he was going to be seen in front of the judge that morning. I told her that I knew it wouldn't bring Kami back but if she could "make his life a little uncomfortable" that would be ok. She took it to heart and stood up for Kami. The case was turned over to Emily. Emily got to know Kami and as her colleagues stated, this case was her baby. She will never know how much that meant to us. For the next year and a half, we were kept abreast of everything going on. There were court case times set and postponed, and finally on May 3, 2016, we went to court. The State of Colorado vs. Jeff Rodocker for domestic violence.
Bud and I were both subpeoned to testify on Kami's behalf. Because of the circumstances of Kami not being there, we had to be careful what we said as to not create "heresay". My aunt Marian flew over (Kami's other mom) and I had several good friends as well as Kami's dear friends, Sam and Elisha to support us in court. Bud and I couldn't be in the court room because we were testifying, but we had many ears and eyes. The first day of the trial the officer that had been first to respond was there, Officer Munk. During his testimony he said something to the affect that was considered here say and the judge should have sustained the objection but she didn't. Long story short, she declared a mistrial. Emily and Bree (the other DA rockstar) came in to tell us what was going on and that it could be up to 3 months before we could go to trial again but the judge felt bad and was going to see what she could do to make it happen the next day. (Did I mention that we had many people praying for us??? Those prayers were answered). Somehow they were able to make it work and it was scheduled for the next day.
Wednesday the 4th we were back in court. Officer Munk couldn't be there, but his partner Officer Juarez was there and the paramedic that had treated her testified as well. Then it was Bud's turn. I understand he did awesome. I was still out in the hallway waiting for my turn. I can't tell you the emotions that went through my head and heart those two days. I didn't want to relive what had happened that day, but knew I could do it for Kami. When the paramedic came out after testifying, he stopped and I thanked him. He looked at me and just said, I want to give you a hug. He will never know what that meant to me.
The overwhelming thought of seeing Jeff was what I most feared. I don't know that fear was the right word but I definitely didn't want to see him. We had been called into the courtroom the day before when the mistrial was announced and the judge was trying to rearrange her schedule. I saw the back of his head and the side. I never looked him in the face. Everyone had told us how old and awful he looked. I thought he looked old and awful when Kami was alive... He didn't look so tough. By the time Kami died, she was 5 foot 8 and weighed about 100 pounds. He is a sad excuse for a person.
When I was called to testify, I was an emotional basket case. It was scary, I had never been in a court room and it isn't like TV!!! There were 6 jurors sitting across from me. Three men and three women. I told the story of the last night with Kami. We couldn't say anything about how she died. I will admit that I cried and it was very tough to get through it. After I testified another detective testified and then they gave their closing arguments. Emily and Bree were awesome. They kept referring to Kami as a woman. It really struck me hard. To me, she was the little girl that sat on my lap and I read to, I did her hair, we went shopping together, I drove her to soccer practice, and games, I cried over her, I cried with her, I held her, I love her with all my heart.
The defense lawyer gave his closing arguments and kept trying to say that Jeff should be aquitted. The jury took maybe 20 minutes to find Jeff guilty. After the case ended the jury went out in to the hall. I wish I could have gone out there and shook everyone of their hands. They had some questions, one of them being "how did Kami die". We gave our permission for the judge to share that with them. Jeff will be sentenced June 18th.
As they took him out in handcuffs, my heart was aching, I felt numb. Kami wasn't coming back, there really is no winner but I was glad that he was found guilty.
He is in jail for another case as well, 11 counts against him, kidnapping, sexual assault, felony menace, narcotics, marijuana, failure to appear, etc. For Kami, the most he can get is 3 years, for this other case, it will be years in prison. I only wish we could have gotten him off the streets before he hurt someone else.
I just want Emily, Bree and Angela (the victim's) advocate to know how grateful we are to them for making Kami "their baby", after all she was my baby and they helped her have a voice.
