Sentencing Friday in 2021 deaths of Prescott grads

By John McLoone
Posted 3/23/23

Sentencing for a Burnsville woman convicted in the deaths of two Prescott natives in an April 4, 2021 accident in Burnsville will be held in Dakota County Court Friday, March 23 at 9 a.m.

Camille …

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Sentencing Friday in 2021 deaths of Prescott grads

Posted

Sentencing for a Burnsville woman convicted in the deaths of two Prescott natives in an April 4, 2021 accident in Burnsville will be held in Dakota County Court Friday, March 23 at 9 a.m.

Camille Dennis-Bond, 20, Burnsville, faces extended prison time after being convicted in December of two counts of third-degree murder and two counts of criminal vehicular homicide, one count of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm and one count of careless driving. Dennis-Bond and her brother, Leon Bond were reportedly drag racing on County Road 42 at 10:30 a.m. at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Bond’s vehicle hit a car driven by Dalton Ford, 22, of Burnsville. Ford and his passenger, Tayler Garza, 22, of Woodbury, were killed in the accident. The two were 2017 graduates of Prescott High School.

Dennis-Bond was convicted by a jury after seven hours of deliberation on Dec. 14, 2022. She faces 25-30 years in prison at sentencing.

Bond, now 19, was 80 days short of his 18th birthday at the time of the accident and was tried as a juvenile. He pled guilty to similar charges as his sister in January after the jury ruled against her. He can be held in the juvenile system until he turns 21. Prosecutors had attempted to have Bond’s charges elevated to adult court, but a Dakota County judge ruled that his case remain in the juvenile system. The Dakota County Attorney office appealed that decision but that was rejected by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

The posted speed limit in the area of the crash was 50 mph, and the vehicles driven by Dennis-Bond and Bond were projected by experts at 41 to 64 mph over the posted limit.

While the impact came from Bond’s vehicle, Dennis-Bond’s vehicle racing with that of her brother was ruled a contributing factor.

Dennis-Bond was free on bail prior to her trial but was remanded to custody in the Dakota County Jail upon her conviction.

Family and friends of Ford and Garza are expected to be out in full force in the courtroom and provide impact statements. Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena is expected to ask for a lengthy sentence.

Dennis-Bond’s attorney, Bobby Jo Champion, reportedly has asked for her to be placed on probation in a February court filing.

“She does not have any adult criminal history,” the filing states. “Miss Dennis-Bond entered a not guilty plea and maintained her innocence. She proceeded to trial and was convicted as charged. Significantly, Leon Bond was directly involved in the collision with the Honda CRV driven by Dalton Ford, and he accepted a plea from the state for a probationary sentence. The case comes after the unfortunate deaths of two individuals as a result of a traffic accident.”

Champion said Dennis Bond “has accepted responsibility.”

“She was 19 years old at the time of the accident; she had just begun to live her adult life. According to research and empirical data, though the brain may be done growing in size, it does not finish developing and maturing until the mid to late 20s. The front part of the brain…is one of the last brain regions to mature. The area is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing and controlling impulses. Young people, unfortunately, based on age and experience, sometimes make bad decisions,” Champion wrote.

After the trial, Keena issued the following statement:

“The deaths of Tayler Garza and Dalton Ford were due to the extremely reckless behavior of Camille Dennis-Bond and Leon Bond engaging in the inherently dangerous act of drag racing. I thank the jury for their recognition of this by the verdicts they delivered today. My deepest sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Tayler Garza and Dalton Ford for their great loss,” said Keena.

During trial deliberation, jurors reportedly asked to rewatch footage of security cameras from neighboring businesses that showed the Dennis-Bond and Bond vehicles at a stop light, where reports say they decided to see which vehicle could accelerate faster. Garza and Ford were enroute to a nearby Caribou Coffee when they crossed the highway and were struck, splitting the SUV they were in in half.

Camille Dennis-Bond, sentencing, Leon Bond, Dakota County, Minnesota, Tayler Garza, Dalton Ford