Police: Pregnant Woman Kidnapped [Augusta GA--Tamara Dunstan]

www.11alive.com ^ | 4/16/2004 9:22:56 PM | Provided By: The Associated Press

[vikingchick]

Augusta (AP) -- Police are searching for a pregnant woman who may have been kidnapped during a burglary at her mother's house.

Twenty-nine-year-old Tamara Dunstan was last seen last night at her mother's Augusta home. Her vehicle was still at the house and her keys were inside the home when police arrived, authorities said.

Richmond County Sheriff's Major Ken Autry said Dunstan may have arrived at the house during the burglary. Autry said evidence of foul play had been found.

Dunstan's family has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to her return and the arrest of those responsible.

Police don't believe Dunstan knew her abductor, Autry said.

Residents living in the area were asked to help find a dark-colored, newer model Ford Mustang with a University of South Carolina-Aiken plate on the front of the vehicle. The occupants were described as a white man and a black man, both in their mid-20s.

Dunstan is a 5-foot-4 white woman weighing 120 pounds. She has shoulder-length brown hair.

[AnAmericanMother]

Actually, Atlanta is still somewhat the same way - more than you'd think, because the corporate transients come and go, while the core of Old Atlanta remains. The old guard tend to hang out together, and my husband and I are always running into people we know.

My grandfather moved to Atlanta from Augusta in 1914 to attend Georgia Tech. His father's family moved there from Scotland in the 1860s. My grandmother was also from Augusta, her family was from Charleston, she worked as a bacteriologist at MCG until she married my grandfather in 1920. They eventually settled in Atlanta, but they kept contacts in the Augusta area for a long time. Unfortunately, the only relatives I have there now are in Magnolia Cemetery.

Sorry you were "under suspicion" for a little while, but you wouldn't believe the problems FR has with people (probably mostly bored teenagers) who sign on pretending to be friends/acquaintances/relatives of a perp or victim of a violent crime. However, as noted above, they are usually semi-literate and just abuse everybody until they are shut down.

[Sandylapper]

Thanks for that, kelpier. So, Tamara's mother has never remarried; therefore, she had no stepfather. Is that it? I take it from your post that the "home" is the home that was previously owned/built by Tamara's mother and father, and that upon divorce, the mother got the house. Maybe they had planned for more children before deciding to call it quits; hence, 8 bedrooms. With only 3 children though, 8 bedrooms is still a lot for the not-so-rich-and-famous.

I'm not a realtor nor their financial planner either. Just interested in this tragic murder case that we'll likely see later on American Justice, CTV, Discovery, etc. It sort of helps to understand relationships and backgrounds as the story unfolds. Hope it's not offensive to Augusta folks for harmless questions to be asked. I have no ulterior motive.

[Devil_Anse]

Now that they think they have who did this murder, is anything happening with this case? Any hearings set, etc.?

[kelpier]

April 20, 2004:
Home > News > Latest News

Grand jury indicts man for Tamara Dunstan slaying

Web posted Tuesday, April 20, 2004
By Sandy Hodson | Staff Writer
A Richmond County grand jury indicted Ronald F. Burke today on charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery in the April 15 slaying of Tamara Dunstan.

The indictment alleges Mr. Burke, 25, beat the 29-year-old expectant mother to steal not only paintings and porcelain figurines from her mother's home but also Mrs. Dunstan's wedding and engagement rings.

The indictment charges Mr. Burke with felony and malice murder in the strangulation of Mrs. Dunstan and with felony and malice murder in the death of her unborn child.

[kelpier]

April 23, 2004: Prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case of Ronald Francis Burke Jr., who is charged in the death of Tamara Dunstan, according to a court document obtained today.

The document, filed with Richmond County Superior Court, states that the death penalty is being sought based on four circumstances, the first of which notes the killing of Mrs. Dunstan during a burglary.

Also listed as a circumstance is the killing of Mrs. Dunstan, which the court document states "was outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible, or inhuman in that it involved torture or depravity of mind, or an aggravated battery to the victim."

Other reasons are the killing of Mrs. Dunstan during her kidnapping, considered a capital felony; and the killing of Mrs. Dunstan's unborn child, the document states. Mrs. Dunstan was three months pregnant at the time of her abduction, which occurred April 15 at her mother's west Augusta house. Mr. Burke was arrested three days later after he admitted to the killing and led authorities to the body of Mrs. Dunstan in rural Edgefield County, police said.

[Devil_Anse]

Thank you for the update.

It appears that this Burke did this horrible murder.

Say bye-bye, Mr. Burke.

[abuzz]

Tamara's mother did remarry in 1996, and subsequently divorced again in 2002. At that time she changed her name back to Cundey, the same as her children and grandchildren.

[Sandylapper]

Thanks for that info, abuzz! I was thinking about this case yesterday and wondering what was happening on it. Do you have any news about the trial?

Abuzz, I didn't realize there were any Cundley grandchildren. Guess I must be mistaken.

[abuzz]

No news as to when the trial will take place, but my best guess is early '06. And yes,Tamara, was Aunt Tamara to two beautiful kids that loved her dearly.

[abuzz]

Since you were interested, I send the following link:

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/100305/lat_burke.shtml

He received 3 consecutive life terms +42.5 years.