Lawyers argue to save evidence, but Bellingham father wants to cremate daughter’s body
Nearly three months after a 3-year-old Bellingham girl died, her remains are at the center of a battle that’s delayed the trial of the woman accused of murdering her.
Brandon Homan wants to cremate his daughter. Defense attorneys have fought to stop that, saying there is a need to preserve further evidence for the pending murder trial.
Hazel Journey Homan died Nov. 30, 2019 from blunt force trauma to the head. Her death was officially ruled a homicide Jan. 23 by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Kamee Nicole Dixon, 28, of Bellingham was charged in Whatcom County Superior Court Dec. 9 with second-degree murder and homicide by abuse for Hazel’s death, according to Superior Court records. The homicide by abuse charge incorporates past abuse Hazel allegedly suffered at the hands of Dixon in the last six months of her life.
Dixon was not Hazel’s biological mother, but was Hazel’s primary caregiver and was in a relationship Homan.
Dixon is currently incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Dixon’s defense attorneys are seeking review by a higher court of rulings that lifted the stay of cremation, putting Dixon’s murder case on hold and delaying Hazel’s cremation until at least March 5.
According to Wednesday’s Court of Appeals ruling, the stay will remain in effect until the autopsy report is received by the attorneys, which is expected by March 5. Dixon’s defense attorneys are then required to ask for further review by March 5, otherwise the temporary emergency stay will be lifted, the ruling states.
The argument
Dixon’s defense attorneys, Emily Beschen and Doug Hyldahl, originally asked the court to prevent Hazel’s cremation in mid-December. Dixon’s attorneys state they’re not preventing a burial for Hazel, but are seeking to prevent the permanent destruction of evidence that may be relevant to Dixon’s court case, court records show.
Dixon’s attorneys say the allegations against Dixon are unclear, and that the medical and law enforcement investigative records raise questions about which injuries Hazel actually sustained prior to death, court records show.
Beschen wrote in an emailed statement Feb. 21 to The Bellingham Herald that both Homan and Dixon had concerns over Hazel’s health in the months before her death.
“Both (Homan) and (Dixon) had brought her to different doctor’s appointments. During October, the physician notes Hazel is playful and appears well cared for. In November, a social worker spends time alone with Hazel and notes she had no concerning marks. Neither expressed concerns of Hazel being tortured,” Beschen’s statement said.
Dixon’s attorneys argue that without the autopsy report and specifics of the allegations, they don’t know which experts they need to hire or what evidence they may need to look at, so the stay of cremation should continue, the court records state.
In early February, Whatcom County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erik Sigmar asked the court to lift the stay, arguing that the defense attorneys have had the time they need to hire experts and conduct an independent examination of Hazel’s body.
The prosecutor’s office stated the evidence relevant to Dixon’s court case has already been preserved, and that Hazel’s family should be allowed to cremate her, the records state. The prosecutor’s office has also received emails from the funeral home and Support Officer Community Care, an advocacy group supporting Homan, urging the attorneys to lift the stay.
“The fact that this has taken so long is wrong. It’s wrong that she suffered in life and is now a pawn in a game of chess between attorneys. This is not justice,” Support Officer Executive Director Kendra Cristelli wrote.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
