Dear Mr. Attorney General:

I am writing to you today demanding that your office conduct an official investigation into the death of Kelly Pease which happened on or about March 10, 2017.

Mr. Steven Denson was identified as a person of interest and he took his own life on or about March 11, 2017, while being pursued by various law enforcement agencies. Mr. Denson had a troubled history which included on or about Jan. 25, 2017, a felony charge of Attempted Strangulation under IC 18-923 and three other misdemeanor charges related to Ms. Pease.

While reviewing the Idaho Repository, while a no-contact order was served on Jan. 25, 2017, Mr. Denson was taken into custody on Feb. 4, 2017, for violation of the no-contact order. So it appeared Mr. Denson clearly never intended to honor that order.

Why I am asking for this investigation is to find out if our prosecutor’s action may have played a part in Ms. Pease’s death and could more have been done to prevent it. I believe every American should understand if the following actions contributed to the death of Kelly Pease.

(1) According to the Idaho Repository, on or about Feb. 28, 2017, did Ms Pease and/or her family know and understand that DA John Redal was obtaining a disqualification of a judge assigned to take over the case?

(2) Did Ms Pease and/or her family know on or about March 10, 2017, that Mr. Denson’s bond was revoked?

(3) With Mr. Denson's history, what efforts did the prosecutor take to obtain protection for her? Yes, she died that afternoon.

(4) With the issuance of a no-contact order, what procedures are there in place either countywide or under Idaho Code to review if those who are under an order have no access to firearms until a ruling has be determined if one is truly guilty of committing a violent act.

Above I mention could more have been done? I believe so. As a former Senior Loss Prevention Manager for J.C. Penney Company, once I was made aware of a situation which involved domestic violence or a no-contact order I took action. I had excellent relationship with all local law enforcement agencies in the area of my store as well as the County District Attorney’s Office. Here are measures we took:

(1) Within the store, a CCTV camera was placed on the persons work area that was subject to the order. If no camera was in place, my loss prevention staff made regular walk around in her/his department.

(2) The associate was advised to never leave the business with being without two loss prevention officers escorting them.

(3) When leaving for the day, me or at least one other officer would walk the person to his/her vehicle and once there, one would stay with the employee and the other officer would inspect the engine compartment, open the trunk, check the interior and look under the vehicle. We verified this and then sent the associate on. Upon return, the associate would call the store and we would meet and escort them into the store.

So now a better question is, was Kootenai Health ever given the necessary information so they could take protective action on their grounds? Someone could have advised the CEO. Did they do nothing because they were never made aware of the bond being revoked and therefore never had security escort her to her vehicle? I feel this could be huge.

Therefore, I believe there is a valid reason to conduct an investigation of Mr. Barry McHugh’s office and the action of DA John Redal. I am not sure that the citizens of the county can ensure an honest investigation if it is/was done locally. With Coeur d’Alene being a tourist location, can anyone, either American or from a foreign country, be confident that Mr. McHugh or his office can act to protect the best interests of any victim? I can supply a few names of individuals who have a long history of violations of contact orders and I don’t believe the courts have been serious about them either. (I am preparing another letter to Chief Justice Roger S. Burdick as well.)

If you wish to contact me, please feel free to do so. While I did not personal know Ms. Pease, I have other relationship who went to school with her and I believe they and those in Bonner Ferry deserve some answers to this awful murder.

Respectfully,

Gary L Nystrom

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Gary Nystrom is a resident of Post Falls.