16-year-old will serve 25 years in prison for fatal stabbing in 2013

A 16-year-old who pleaded guilty to helping stab a man to death last year didn't receive the maximum time requested by the victim's family, and instead was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Mary Chicchelly said in her ruling issued last Friday that considering all factors, including the brutal way Ronald Kunkle was stabbed more than 30 times, she believes a structured environment within the correctional system will be the most effective rehabilitation for Daimonay Richardson.

'This will allow Ms. Richardson to embrace the services and treatment offered, and will allow her to prove herself to the parole board as time progresses,” Chicchelly stated. Richardson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February. She said during the plea that she, 15 at the time, along with former boyfriend D Anthony Curd, 19, armed themselves with steak knives and planned to rob and kill Kunkle for money on May 18, 2013. Kunkle was stabbed 39 times. Richardson, during her plea, admitted that she stabbed him three times.

Chicchelly sentenced Richardson to 50 years in prison but suspended 25 years without a mandatory minimum before eligibility for parole. Richardson also will be on three years probation after her prison time.

Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden had asked for 50 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 70 percent before eligibility for parole.

Richardson's attorney asked for a deferred judgment, lesser prison time with a suspended sentence and probation or a combination of those.

In the ruling, Chicchelly considered Richardson's background, home life, circumstances and nature of the crime, her age, lack of criminal record, state laws and victim impact statements by Kunkle's family members.

Richardson has led a 'chaotic, dysfunctional, traumatic and unstable young life,” and was easily lured into activities by Curd, Chicchelly said in ruling. Her father was an alcoholic and her mother struggled with stability. She lost her primary maternal bond, her grandmother, started using alcohol at age 10 and was using marijuana by age 13, when she also was raped, Chicchelly said in the ruling.

Curd then took advantage of her vulnerability by manipulating her, so she would only trust and rely on him, Chicchelly said in the ruling.

Richardson has done well while in jail, Chicchelly said. She has tried to repair her family relationship, focused on making educational advancements, and broke off her relationship with Curd and hasn't used drugs or alcohol, but it's difficult to say whether she would have done this well outside of jail.

Chicchelly said she couldn't in 'good conscience” place Richardson back in her home environment as suggested by the defense and an expert in this case. While Richardson seems to have made changes, those don't provide the court with assurances she would continue to stay away from Curd, who hasn't been convicted and is the father of her child, or other negative influences in her home environment.

'Though the court fully accepts and embraces the wisdom that the juvenile brain is significantly different from the adult brain, and that Ms. Richardson's brain is more capable of and susceptible to rehabilitative efforts right now than it will ever be again, after reviewing the record as a whole, the court believes that the programs, facilities and personnel available, together with the structured environment that would be provided with the correctional system, will more effectively lead to Ms. Richardson's rehabilitation in a way that will eventually lead to her safe re-entry into society,” Chicchelly wrote.

Chicchelly, in her ruling also relied on the Iowa Supreme Court decision regarding the resentencing of Denum Null, another Cedar Rapids juvenile convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree robbery at age 18.

The court ruled a 52-year minimum prison term was too harsh and children are constitutionally different from adults regarding harsh punishments. Null would virtually have to serve a life sentence if 52 years was the minimum to serve before being eligible for parole at 72. He will be resentenced in October.

Richardson also will have to pay $150,000 to Kunkle's estate and pay $7,185 in restitution to the Crime Victims Assistance Program.

As part of Richardson's plea deal, she still will have to testify against Curd, charged with first-degree murder, at his trial.

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