Former Police Officer Arrested and Charged with the Murder of Ex Wife

Kelseecat65 · #1 ● 12-03-2015, 04:35 PM

We don't have many murders in the city I live in. This girl was murdered on November 18th. Her oldest child is in middle school, the same one my son went to last year. I think that's why I took such an interest in it. So sad. Due to his selfish act, three children are left with no mother, and technically no father as he will be in prison. Plus he was remarried.

PORTAGE | A former Hammond and Gary police officer has been arrested and charged with the murder of the mother of three of his children.

Kevin Campbell, 31, of Hobart, was arrested Thursday morning by Portage police.

He is charged with killing his ex-wife Tiara Thomas, who was found covered in blood about 7:30 a.m. Nov. 18 in her unit at Park Place Apartments, 5970 Old Porter Road.

She was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary, where she was pronounced dead at 8:21 a.m. from gunshot wounds.

The motive, according to documents filed in court, points to arguments over child support and other money-related matters.

A probable cause affidavit filed in Porter Superior Court Wednesday alleges that Campbell shot Thomas sometime between 4:37 a.m. and 5:55 a.m. Nov. 18, then took their three children to school in Portage.

Police interviewed the couple's oldest child, a Portage middle school student. The child told police that on the way to school that morning, they stopped at Columbus Park in Lake Station where Campbell dumped a bag he believed contained shoes and other unknown items at the park. Police have not recovered the bag.

The affidavit also indicates Campbell had kept the three children overnight the night before Thomas was killed, which was unusual. It also alleges that Campbell had requested his oldest child bring him a key to the apartment nearly two weeks before the killing, which was also unusual.

There was no forced entry into Thomas' apartment the morning she was killed, according to the court document.

The affidavit states that Campbell paid Thomas nearly $1,500 per month in child support and that the two often argued about the money and how it was spent. The charges indicate Campbell was in debt and had had his vehicle repossessed.

Portage Police Chief Troy Williams confirmed in a Thursday afternoon press conference that finances seemed to be a motive, but declined further comments on the details of the case.

Thomas was discovered by her fiance the morning of Nov. 18. He found her body on the floor of the bedroom. Police recovered three 9mm shell casings, two live 9mm rounds and two slugs that had exited Thomas' body in the bedroom. They also found two pillows with holes in them, which appeared were used in an attempt to muffle the noise from two of the gunshots, according to the affidavit.

Campbell was interviewed by Portage police that morning, but denied leaving his Hobart home before he took his children to school. However, video from his home surveillance system indicated the front door of the home was opened at 4:37 a.m. and again at 5:55 a.m., according to the document. That, according to police, gave him sufficient time to drive to Portage, shoot Thomas and return home before he awoke the children to go to school.

Williams said Campbell was deceptive with police concerning the whereabouts of his cell phone the morning of his ex-wife's murder.

That deception, said Williams, moved Campbell from a person of interest to the prime suspect in Thomas' murder.

Williams called Campbell's actions "callous and calculating."

Williams said Campbell was taken into custody just before 6 a.m. at his home in Hobart.

Williams said knowing Campbell was a former police officer and had additional weapons and body armor, decided to deploy the city's SWAT team to arrest Campbell. The SWAT team, along with Portage detectives and members of the Hobart Police Department, set up surveillance at Campbell's home about 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Williams said they knew Campbell usually drove his present wife to work each morning and planned to arrest him as he left the house.

"Our operation execution went flawlessly," he said, adding Campbell attempted to run when he saw police, but soon gave up when he saw the home had been surrounded.

"We know the public wants their police officers held to a high standard and when something like this happens, involving a police officer, it cast a shadow over all of us," Williams said during the press conference. "I hope that the speed in which we were able to develop our case and obtain an arrest warrant and take Mr. Campbell into custody shows the public that it does not matter who you are. If you come to our city to commit a heinous crime such as this we will find you and we will arrest you."

Hammond's police chief said last week he fired Campbell, a probationary officer, who had been identified by authorities as a person of interest in a Portage homicide.

Police Chief John Doughty said the officer was put on leave and stripped of police powers Nov. 18 after Portage police informed Hammond police the man was a person of interest in the homicide investigation.

Campbell was also a police officer on the Gary Police Department from Aug. 3, 2011 to Jan. 11, 2015, when he left to join the Hammond department.

According to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request from the City of Gary, while on the Gary department, Campbell had one written reprimand for an on duty vehicle accident where he was found to be at fault. He also had two pending disciplinary actions, both involving charges of conduct unbecoming an officer. Campbell left the department before disciplinary measures were carried out.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/p...3b07e72a1.html