FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – The family of a woman who was stabbed to death near Tontitown one year ago this week has started an online petition to end the use of untrained citizens as police confidential informants.
Dawn LeAnn Frazier of Springdale was killed near Tontitown on May 21, 2014. The accused killer, Brock Atkins, who has been charged with capital murder, is awaiting a Nov. 9 trial date in Washington County Circuit Court. Atkins has pleaded not guilty. (Read more about the case here.)
Frazier’s family said in the online petition, posted on change.org, that she was a police confidential informant, or C.I., when killed. She had gone to a residence where people figured out that she was a confidential informant, which led to her death, the petition states. The family is seeking a law to prevent authorities from using citizen confidential informants. The family has titled the proposal “LeAnn’s Law.”
The petition states that police officers are trained to gather information in criminal cases, but unqualified citizens who lack weapons, protection or training are not prepared for the risk. However, criminal suspects will take the risk to lessen the charges against them, the petition states.
When told on Friday (May 22) about the online petition, state Rep. Rebecca Petty, R-Rogers, whose daughter was murdered by a man now on death row, said she would like to sit down with Frazier’s family and discuss their proposal.
“I always go to bat for crime victims,” she said.
She said it is too early to say whether the Legislature would support ending the use of confidential informants, but added she is willing to open a dialogue on the issue.
Petty said she would like to meet with law enforcement officials whose agencies use confidential informants to see if there is any common ground on the issue “where everyone is safe.”
