Kunkel charged with first-degree murder

It was almost a punch in the stomach Jon Kunkel, a controversial Islander well-known on Vashon for his two boarding-house-like homes and varied business ventures, has been charged with first-degree murder for the August shooting of Ron Childers. via Tacoma Daily Index

[anominous]

INNOCENT

[person]

anominous wrote:

INNOCENT

No way! have you ever met this guy? he's scary. He belongs in a mental institution.

[Anominous]

well excuse me i would know if he belongs into a mental institute, cause he's my brother

[happy2Bnolongeri nvolved]

I saw the blood on the floor. I've listened to him boast his material 'accomplishments'. I held Kim while she sobbed prayers into my blouse.
Jon is definitely guilty by both legal and moral standards. He has made the entire island, people I dearly love, fear for their lives. The day everything appeared on the news, three different people called and said "was it Jon?" before I could even say hello.
Before all of this happened, I truly wanted to believe that there was some hope for him. I am praying for the hearts everyone involved, including Jon.

[SRS]

Does anyone know where the 2008 Chev Aveo, blue, 481wys went. We need to pick it up. Call us at 800-426-6408 or email at [e-mail].

[MeMeMe]

I knew Jon, I was his roomate before he began owning homes and crap...he's a creep. He's the reason I had to move off of Vashon. He's the reason my job there didn't work out...he's such a psycho. So is his mom. Blech.

[129584arv]

has he been sentenced yet? when is the actual trial?

[OregonTrail]

I lived in the house for a while in 2006. Jon seemed like a good kid and we got along ok, but he made me nervous. Something wasn't right. His emotions and behaviors were too extreme. When the opportunity arose I packed up and moved to Oregon in a day. I do not regret that decision.

[Jeanette]

Ron Childers and & lived together for 9 years in Oklahoma. It saddens my heart not only for the loss of his life but the fact that it shows the times we are currently in and that man would kill man for the almighty buck. I hope this 23 year old man (I would call him a cowardly kid) pays. And of course, he will have to answer to higher power. I have just learned of the loss of Ron from a Xmas card from his parents. I pray they and his widow will find peace/comfort in the fact that Ron is in peace & no longer has the worries that encompass our world today. For Jon, I have no compassion at all, you will get what you deserve, now and/or later when karma slaps you in the face!

[Jeanette]

Trial is March 2009

[not memememe]

MeMeMe wrote:

I knew Jon, I was his roomate before he began owning homes and crap...he's a creep. He's the reason I had to move off of Vashon. He's the reason my job there didn't work out...he's such a psycho. So is his mom. Blech.

It's funny that anyone can enter your bedroom hyped up on coke and booze threaten you and you're supposed to just stand there and take it. What was Jon supposed to do when this guy came at him with a sword.....ask to make him tea and a cucumber sandwiche? The better MAN walked out of the room that day!!!!! Also I know Jon's mom and she's not a physco.

[not memememe]

Jeanette wrote:

Ron Childers and & lived together for 9 years in Oklahoma. It saddens my heart not only for the loss of his life but the fact that it shows the times we are currently in and that man would kill man for the almighty buck. I hope this 23 year old man (I would call him a cowardly kid) pays. And of course, he will have to answer to higher power. I have just learned of the loss of Ron from a Xmas card from his parents. I pray they and his widow will find peace/comfort in the fact that Ron is in peace & no longer has the worries that encompass our world today. For Jon, I have no compassion at all, you will get what you deserve, now and/or later when karma slaps you in the face!

Jon was not a coward, Ron was lazy and didn't pay rent for 4 months. He and his wife were living off that kid. Also where I come from you don't pay rent you get kicked out. You don't pay for your car they come get it. What makes this kid any different then anyone else? Oh that's right he had someone come at him with a sword and had to safe his own life. THAT'S THE DIFFERANCE. Ron also beat his wife....did he beat you also?

[not memememe]

happy2Bnolongerinvolved wrote:

I saw the blood on the floor. I've listened to him boast his material 'accomplishments'. I held Kim while she sobbed prayers into my blouse.
Jon is definitely guilty by both legal and moral standards. He has made the entire island, people I dearly love, fear for their lives. The day everything appeared on the news, three different people called and said "was it Jon?" before I could even say hello.
Before all of this happened, I truly wanted to believe that there was some hope for him. I am praying for the hearts everyone involved, including Jon.

I'm really happy to hear Kimmy Bunny had such a good friend to be there for her in her time of need, but Jon did have a lot to be proud of. He was 23 and owned his own business and two houses on Vashon. Why do we get up day after day and go to work except to be able to accomplish something in our life. Jon is a very hard working young man and has worked hard for everything in his life, just to have people try and take advantage of him and see what they can get out of him.

[KVI Beach]

Looks like trial postponed until May 7th, 2009 according to WA Courts web site:

http://dw.courts.wa.gov

Court: King Co Superior Ct
Case Number: 07-1-08476-9

[cj409_Vashon]

not memememe wrote:

<quoted text>Jon was not a coward, Ron was lazy and didn't pay rent for 4 months. He and his wife were living off that kid. Also where I come from you don't pay rent you get kicked out. You don't pay for your car they come get it. What makes this kid any different then anyone else? Oh that's right he had someone come at him with a sword and had to safe his own life. THAT'S THE DIFFERANCE. Ron also beat his wife....did he beat you also?

I don't know Jon, but I am an old friend of Kim. I also happen to be a landlord of a multiplex and when someone doesn't pay I don't shoot them, I evict them. From an outsider's stance - Jon doesn't seem to be a very respectable person. So far I haven't seen reports that Ron was on drugs when he was shot, nor was there any mention about a sword in news reports, but that may be an ommision. And isn't there a witness that Jon went overtown specifically to buy a gun so he could shoot Ron? Either way, all who I have talked to on Vashon say Jon was a bit off, and a bit scary. People don't say things like that for no reason - not on Vashon anyways.

[Jeanette]

[You are an idiot! Doesn't matter if Ron was lazy, crazy, on drugs, whatever. You are not permitted to kill someone unless you are in danger. Ron didn't have a sword, didn't have a gun, just owed this creep some $$$. He blew him away.

[Jeanette]

Last time I checked you can evict someone and not continue to loan them $$$ for a vann. So, Mr. Kunkel was owed $$$ for back-rent, but yet, still, decided to also give him a vann to pay-out with work? Doesn't sound like a smart business man to me. And answer to MeMeMe's question, no Ron never ever beat me. You are an idiot! Full-blown.

[RML]

I am the last one standing at the last house on 87th ave sw.
I have yet to comment on what I've read in this forum.
Most of the comments are based on feelings and not on fact.
I worked for Jon and moved in just after the shooting.
We're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty and upon meeting him I was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt for all of the reasons mentioned before.
A hard working young man with a pizza business and two houses. Hey, my hat was off to the guy.
In bed by ten. No evidence of drugs or booze and a no B.S. attitude. I worked directly with Jon.
In various conversations with him I recognized (Even as a lay person)a disconnect between right and wrong with respect to the value of life.
Jon said that if he had to do it again he would do nothing different.
In everything I've read in the last forty something years Jon, I realized, exhibited almost every symptom associated with a sociopath.
Not the TV styled, crazed, murderer type seen at a movie, but the facination with killing things and/or the watching of such.
Indeed, the type to pull the wings off flies or trap and kill animals with little or no compunction.
I've alot more to say but I've run oout of time.

[RML]

By the way,I think that Jon's mom took the Aveo to Oklahoma knowing that it was going to be repo'd.
There is something twisted about her sleeping naked with her eleven year old son.
She may be mostly responsible for Jon turning out the way he did.
I've read most of what Jon had written in his own defense and I can tell you that it is (without his realizing it) pretty much an addmission of guilt.
"OJ had three things to overcome in his trial, I only have two and he got off."
The whole family is wacked.
There is no doubt in my mind about that.
I know them all very well and my girlfriend and myself had to get a restraining order out on the mother.
They (Jon and Julia, his mother) actually thought it made sense to discuss hiring people to break him out of king county jail on the jail phone.
The police raided both hoauses to look for anything related to climbing gear, explosives and whatever else was listed in their conversation.
I tried to convince Jon that having the "Anarchist's Cookbook" on his computer was
not a good idea as it has been found on almost every sociopath's computer who's been caught.
He just thought it was cool to learn homespun ways of killing and maiming.
When I suggested that I could get rid of the racoons and deers without hurting them he said no.
That's why he had the traps so that he could kill them and make things out of them.(hats and the like)Nothing overly strange about that because Americans have been doing that as a matter of course for hundreds of years. It was his unbridled joy for the killing of them that was un-nerving.
I have many things to say that are not opinion or supposition.
If anyone cares to know objective fact I'd be glad to tell you.

[Miss]

Jeanette wrote:

Last time I checked you can evict someone and not continue to loan them $$$ for a vann. So, Mr. Kunkel was owed $$$ for back-rent, but yet, still, decided to also give him a vann to pay-out with work? Doesn't sound like a smart business man to me. And answer to MeMeMe's question, no Ron never ever beat me. You are an idiot! Full-blown.

From what I have read I can understand that you are very upset and you have very good reason to be, although I did not know either party I can say to the defense of Jon if I was presented with a life death situation that has been noted in the past comments, Jon had a right to act like he did. In the defence of Ron if he only owed him money then he overreacted to a very serious extent and should be punished. I also can agree that if the trial does not come to the verdict that you clearly want, then pray and pray hard for all the people's lives this has touched. The people in that house on the day Ron's life was taken i want to say that i am sincerily sorry, that you have to live with that. You will be in my prayers. But with all do respect to everyone on here we all have our own unique opinion and the things that some of you have said should't of been said to one another. We all simply want justice.