Kaitlyn Dunaway Delays Plea Again

A plea by the Rohnert Park teen charged with the texting while driving death of 2-year-old Calli Murray in a crosswalk last December was delayed again this morning in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Judge Bradford DeMeo said he needs more time to consider a possible disposition of 18-year-old Kaitlyn Dunaway's case, defense attorney Chris Andrian said.

The judge met with Andrian and Deputy District Attorney Craig Brooks in his chambers for about 20 minutes this morning. The plea entry is now scheduled for Sept. 22.

Dunaway, a Sonoma State University student, was charged May 16 with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. She was not in court this morning.

On Dec. 1, Dunaway allegedly caused the death of Murray by texting while driving, driving at an unsafe speed for the conditions and failing to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said when the charge was filed.

Ravitch said a misdemeanor charge was filed because the alleged driving offenses do not amount to felonies.

"This was the first chance for the judge to get our input. He wants additional time to consider all the issues," Andrian said after the in-chambers discussion.

"It's a question of, can something be worked out? He needs more time to absorb all this," Andrian said about a possible settlement of the case.

Calli Murray's father Jeff Murray said he was disappointed with the delay.

"This was supposed to be the final day. Now we have to wait until the 22nd," Murray said.

The 5:30 p.m. collision also injured the girl's mother, Ling Murray, 42, who also was in the crosswalk at Snyder Lane and Medical Center Drive in Rohnert Park.

She was hospitalized and is still undergoing physical therapy, Jeff Murray said.

"The worst she (Dunaway) can get is one year in jail. That's not fair for killing my daughter but we don't want her to spend her life in jail," Murray said.

"The judge has to make the best decision. If he needs more time, that's meaningful," he said.

Murray and Calli Murray's grandfather Al Andres said they are lobbying to make texting while driving, currently an infraction, a more serious offense.

This article is by Bay City News Service.

Editor's note, posted Sunday, Sept. 25. It has come to Patch's attention that use of a previously published photo of Kaitlyn Dunaway is unauthorized. Although Rohnert Park Patch was given consent by KTVU — Bob Swofford, managing editor of the Press Democrat, contacted us this week and notified us it was their photo and declined to give us permission to use it. We were unaware of this. 

An email sent May 19 to Patch from the news operations manager at KTVU stated: Here’s the photo—yours to use, as long as you credit KTVU. We bring this information forth in the interest of complete accuracy and transparency.