In a poignant tribute to a fallen colleague, the Kyle Police Department has dedicated its victim services rooms to Samantha Dean, who was tragically murdered in 2015, FOX 7 Austin reports. Dean, who was 29 and seven months pregnant at the time of her death, was the department's first victim services coordinator.
Dean, the initiator of the program, and her unborn daughter, Maddie, were shot to death in Bastrop, a crime for which former Austin Police Department officer VonTrey Clark and two other men were convicted. In a grim turn of events, investigators found that Clark ordered the hit because Dean refused to abort her child. Her mother, Kimberly Anne Dean, reflected on the enduring pain, saying, "It never gets any easier," according to a FOX 7 Austin interview.
The Kyle community has bonded over Dean's memory, with residents expressing a profound sense of loss and admiration for her work. "She has been there for so many people," Rachel Plant, whose spouse serves in the Kyle PD told KVUE. To carry on her legacy, the department's soft interview room is now named Samantha's Space, and the waiting area is Maddie's Corner.
Local artists have decorated these rooms with motifs of healing and remembrance. A “healing hands tree” will bear the handprints of victims served by the department, symbolizing the lasting impact of Dean’s dedication to aiding others. Kelly Barron, the current coordinator, honored Dean's influence, stating, "She was just a ray of light around here" to FOX 7 Austin. Dean's final journey, a procession from Lockhart to San Antonio, was met with community members lining the Interstate 35 overpass to pay respects, as seen in coverage by KVUE.
