No Jail Time for Parents in Daughter's Abduction

Oct. 13, 2007 — -- Less than an hour after listening to her parents plead guilty to their role in a bizarre kidnapping case, 20-year-old Katelyn Kampf vowed she would neither forgive nor forget what they did to her.

"I want to tell them how much they hurt me … and how angry I am. I've never heard my mom say she was sorry, ever," she said.

The case that has been called "an American family tragedy" began one morning September 2006, in North Yarmouth, Maine. Katelyn Kampf had just told her parents she was pregnant by her boyfriend, Reme Johnson, and had decided to keep the baby.

"They said, 'it's either abortion or adoption,'" she said.

Kampf said she got into a heated argument with her parents and contends that her mother held her down and spit on her and that her father "tackled her like a football player" when she left the house. They bound her and threw her in a car, Kampf said, in an effort to drive to New York and force her to have an abortion. She managed to escape in Salem, N.H., and call the police.

"After that I hoped I would never see them again," said Katelyn Kampf.

But she did see her parents again, 13 months later in a Maine courtroom.

Pleading Guilty, with No Jail Time

In a plea agreement with the district attorney's office, reached over Katelyn Kampf's objections, her parents pled guilty to misdemeanor assault charges and disorderly conduct. Felony kidnapping charges were dropped, and the Kampfs will not serve any jail time.

In court, her father Nicholas Kampf said, "The whole experience has been a sad ordeal. We as a family have lost so much … I am sorry."

Lola Kampf also read from a prepared statement: "We have all made some bad choices in the past, and we will have to live with them. But we must believe with our hearts and soul that time will heal the wounds they have caused."

But there was little evidence of any healing today. Neither one of the Kampf parents looked at their daughter or new grandson during the hour-long hearing. And Katelyn Kampf left the courtroom, crying, shortly after her parents arrived. She returned but then broke down and buried her face in her hands as she listened to her mother speak.

After the hearing, she explained her reaction, saying, "Even though she had done so many horrible things to me, I always looked up to her. I mean, she was my mom, you know."

Contesting the Outcome

Although one chapter in this so-called "family tragedy" may be closed, it is pretty clear the story will continue. In court today, Katelyn Kampf protested the proceedings and said, "I am unhappy with the plea agreement. I know that what they did was wrong. They did kidnap me. They should face felony kidnapping charges because that's what they did to me."

Kampf has long contended that race also played a role in her parent's actions. Katelyn Kampf's boyfriend Reme Johnson is black. She is white.

"I did tell the detectives at the time that I thought my parents were racist and that's why they didn't want me to have the baby," she said.

If race did indeed play a role in the events, then Kampf may be able to pursue some other legal avenues against her parents. She is now working with an NAACP-affiliated Portland-based attorney Seth Berner, and hate crime charges are being considered.

Berner intends "to ask the state attorney general's hate crimes division to look into this as well as the U.S. Attorney's office. I'm not clear on federal law, but it may apply here."

Attorneys for the Kampf parents flatly deny their clients are racist.

Bouncing Baby Boy

As for the baby at the heart of this case, D'Andre Johnson, he is now 9 months old with chubby cheeks and a mouth full of teeth that he displays in a big smile to virtually anyone who walks by. His mom describes him as a big "flirt" as she feeds him bits of French toast with her fingers.

Katelyn Kampf said the past year hasn't been easy for her. "I had no one to turn to," she said.

And she is raising D'Andre on her own. Johnson, 23, is in a Connecticut jail awaiting deportation to his native South Africa because of several felony convictions, including receiving stolen property.

Kampf tried for three days before getting the news to Johnson that his son had been born. So far, Johnson has only been able to see his child once.

Kampf is now doing everything she can to try to help stay Johnson's deportation order -- including contacting congressional representatives.

She has been forced to rely on the support of friends, and she is struggling financially. But she's not giving up. "I want to keep him (D'Andre) as protected as possible. He's my motivation," she said.

As part of their plea agreement, the Kampfs have been ordered to undergo therapy, including sessions with their daughter. But Katelyn Kampf is adamant that will never happen.

"I can't do it. I can't face them," she said.

As he read his ruling from the bench this morning, Justice William Brodrick argued that "the best outcome for this family would be to somehow get back together."

But that's an outcome that even the Judge acknowledged was "highly unlikely."