I’ve been wanting to write about what happened on the trip to Florida. It was an emotional time for me and somewhat scary. After all, I was going to try and speak with the wife of the man who was involved in the murder of my sister Kathy. The original plan to go out and try and speak with Ed Dukette failed when he died shortly before that could happen. I have had some personal trials in my life the last two years that has brought a lot of heartache and sorrow in my life and on top of all that has gone on with Kathy’s case my faith has been tried over and over again. But through it all, God has continually reminded me that He is there and knows the pain I feel. I have asked Him to take the heartache away but He has not and I have to believe it’s for a reason beyond what my feeble mind can understand.
Ann and I went to Florida as we had planned but not with the police as we had intended to. I wasn’t going to be wired and try to plea with Ed Dukette to tell the truth, to tell the whole story of what had happened to Kathy. That was dashed when we got the news that he had passed away. Instead I was hoping that Mr. Dukette’s wife might speak with me and reveal something that we didn’t know. That maybe her husband had told her some information or left a letter or physical evidence that would help us fill in some more of the puzzle that wasn’t finished. The missing pieces that we needed to finish the puzzle once and for all.
Mrs. Dukette allowed me to speak with her. First I wanted her to know that I was sorry for her loss, she was in mourning and I wanted to be tender towards her because of it. She definitely loved Mr. Dukette and missed him. They were married in 1994 and from what I could tell from what she said it sounded like Mr. Dukette had turned his life around. I explained to her that even though he may have changed from what he was in the past he was still responsible for what he did and there were consequences for it. He was involved in Kathy’s murder and although he seemed to have made some major life changes, justice still needed to be served. Kathy’s murder was brutal and our family still sought justice for her. “Kathy deserves it” I told her.
I do believe he wanted to do the right thing near the end of his life but wasn’t willing to go all the way because of the consequences it would bring. He turned himself into the Police department and made a confession of killing Kathy, he had details. His wife did have a part in him not confessing everything and in not talking to the police any more. She wanted to believe that he was confused because of his illness and the medication he was on. Also that the oxygen he was on played a part in it. She wanted to believe that he had seen a movie or something on television that made him think he was involved in something he wasn’t. She did tell him that if he went to jail, they were not going to take care of him the way she did. That frightened him because he was very ill. He also had a fear of being put in a nursing home and made her promise that she would not put him in one. So the step forward to do the right thing was squashed and Mr. Dukette stopped talking to the Police.
The NH police interviewed Mr. Dukette for a half day and was planning on interviewing him the following day and he did not show up. When contacted by Major Miller, Mr. Dukette told him he was done talking, he didn’t want to talk about any more. Did Mrs. Dukette have a hand in changing his mind? I believe so…. After all, she didn’t know him as we did, but that doesn’t matter. To do the right thing is what matters. Kathy deserves justice for being brutally raped and murdered and that’s what matters. I pray if there is any other information that she needs to share with me or with the police that she would do so. I would hope that she would do the right thing, that she would make it right for her husband. Her husband, who in fear stepped up to the plate to do the right thing at the end of his life but did not go all the way by swinging the bat. If you step up to the plate in life but never swing the bat, the results are always the same, unprofitable.
Justice ~ Unsolved Murders 
Dear Karen,
LikeLike
Dear Karen, The memory and the love I have for your sister have never faded. I only wish I had words that would bring you some comfort. Kathy and I were very close, I considered her my best freind. We were going through many similar things at the same time, and shared with each other much of how we felt. I, like all the rest of us never saw what was to come. I stopped at the house that morning, Kathy and I were supposed to go down to St Mary’s and work at the clothing drive. I stood at the bottom of your steps with Kathy and Tasha and she told me she could not go with me. There was no way for me to know at the time that his would be the last time I would see my best freind. I was a paulbearer at Kathy’s funeral and I don’t think I have ever really been able to understand any of it at all. When news was out the next day that kathy was missing three freinds and I, Paul Gibbons, Chris Crane, and Jeff Tilton went out looking looking for Kathy in all the places that we thought she would go if she needed to hide out and get away for a bit. I will never forget the look on Mrs Conifeys face when I saw her walk out your door and break the news to the three of us what had happened. In shock I walked next door to my home sat down on my bed turned on the radio to maybe listen to the news and the first thing I heard was the John Lennon song IMAGINE! as I write this all down I realize how crystal clear all my memory of all this is. I have very clear memories of kathy and the time we spent together, walking back and forth to school together playing kickball and hide and go seek maybee skipping mass behind the old Hancock school, and maybe a few other things we knew we should’nt be doing like trying ciggerettes for the first time. One other thing that I seem to remember is how confusing life was for us at that time. Being pulled at by all the forces we experience growing up at that age, problems in our families, broken homes and such, life is difficult enough to understand as an adult let alone a kid that age. I guess it leads me to the point that I never really understood how this could could have happened to Kathy, to your family, to us. I like yourself have always had a hole in my heart., always felt the the pain, always wished that it somehow eased some of Kathy’s pain, some of your pain. I live in Sanbornton and ride by the cemetery where Kathy is eveyday, can’t pass by without thinking of Kathy and wondering how things would turned out for all of us. I have always wished there was more I could have done to help to help Kathy rest peacefully which is I guess the piont of this letter to you, I wish there was somethig I could do something I could say that would help. I would like to make a small contribuion to effort of finding some justice and comfort . I will do so soon. I love you all wish you the very best, and look forward to the good news!
LikeLike
Hi Douglas,
Thank you so much for your tender words. They truly mean’t a lot to me and I will share them with my family. I remember you well and that you and Kathy were great friends. All the things you wrote about are so true, we didn’t have an easy life as children. Life shouldn’t be that way for a kid.
I’m so glad Kathy had a friend like you. I was talking with my sister’s about how her death still affects so many people, friends that still miss her. I heard from Emily Dubia and she told me a little about what she remembers. She read about what happened to Kathy a couple of years ago and was shocked with what she read. She had no idea about how awful Kathy’s death was because the adults tried to protect the kids by not giving them any details. Of course the media didn’t print in 1971 what they do now either. I hope others will be encouraged to blog about what they remember about Kathy, as a friend and how her death affected them. I hope to include in my second book some memory pages from family and friends.
I also remember details of what happend and they too are so vivid. So much has happened since the case was reactivated in 2004 and we are still hoping for even more results. When the cold case unit begins it will give all of the families with unsolved murders hope, Hope that more time will be spent on solving their loved one’s murder.
Douglas, there are so many things I wish I could have done to change what happened to Kathy. I don’t know how many times in my life that I have walked through that day and wished there was something I could have done to change it all. I miss her terribly…. but all we can do now is continue to fight for justice for her, we are her voice.
I would like to ask you some questions through email if that is okay? If not I totally understand and I don’t want you to feel that you need to.
Thank you Douglas for being her friend, I’m sure she loved you for it. She was a beautiful girl and would have had much to offer as a women. We were robbed and so was society….
Much appreciation for the words you wrote,
Karen
Donations can be sent to Franklin Savings Bank: checks made out to Kathy Lynn Gloddy Reward Fund, they will know what account to put it in.
LikeLike
Please tell me where I send a donation to your effort.
LikeLike