Claude Phillip, a construction worker and Des Moines native, has had a rough time of things in recent years. The former father-of-eight has been in mourning for the better part of a year. The name Leonna is etched in his mind.
It’s the name of his daughter, a girl with the world at her fingertips, stolen from him in the prime of her life. But grieving for Leonna and the other victims of this act of senseless violence hasn’t been the only thing on Claude’s mind; justice and vengeance linger as well…
First Look
18 years ago, when Claude Phillip first set eyes on his daughter, he wept. Leonna Dalton-Phillip became only one of Claude’s eight children, but was the apple of his eye right from the start. He would, like any father, worry every day about whether or not he was doing right by his daughter. In time, he would have cause to worry.
Bad News
It was a cold December evening, more than 18 years after the day that Leonna had come into the world, that Claude received the first call that something had gone wrong. Leonna’s mother Janisa Dalton was on the other end of the phone. She had bad news, her parents, Leonna’s grandparents had been shot dead in the home. As he wept, the news grew worse.
Missing Daughter
The next piece of news Jalisa brought was even worse. She had sent Leonna to her grandparents to pick up her little sister earlier in the evening but never heard back from either of them after a few hours. Before she could even begin disseminating the news, Claude was out the door and in the car, driving to find his missing daughter.
Kidnapped
Claude sped down Interstate Highway 80. He was shaking with fear, worried that his daughter had been kidnapped during the attack on his would-be in-laws. More than that though, he worried that the culprit was someone both he and Jalisa had worried might be a problem when he came back into their lives not long before.
Brother John
Jalisa’s wayward brother, John Dalton, had never been what one might consider a “model citizen.” The 1990s saw him committing and becoming convicted been convicted of several crimes including cocaine delivery, fleeing from police, and leaving the scene of an accident. But it all came to a head when he killed his wife, Shannon Dalton, in September of 1998. All three of their children were home at the time
Charged and Paroled
John Dalton was charged with second-degree murder, which might have seen him put away for most of his natural life, but things changed at the 11th hour. Dalton received a plea bargain which involved him pleading guilty to manslaughter and a host of other crimes. He went away for a few years, but was paroled in 2010. Still, he seemed changed by the experience.
That Night
Sadly, there was a dark side to John Dalton that few could see and rage, the likes of which normal people cannot fathom, bubbled close to the surface. It seemed when Dalton arrived at his parents’ home that night, something snapped in him and he came bearing arms. They saw the gun and wouldn’t open the door, but that didn’t stop him.
Call the Police
Dalton shot through the door, hitting his mother four times. When he got inside, he shot at his father five times. When police arrived at the house sometime later, they initially only saw two victims: 70-year-old John Dalton Sr., and 65-year-old Jean Dalton. Dalton was nowhere in sight, and neither were the girls.
Victims
A closer inspection of the house revealed the truth, however. While searching the closets, police officers came upon the body of 18-year-old Leonna Dalton, shot dead as she tried to hide from her uncle. Finally, they heard a sound from beneath one of the couches. Leonna’s 6-year-old sister had survived by hiding beneath the sofa.
Identified
Though she was in shock and panicked beyond belief, the 6-year-old knew who had done all this. Once she had calmed down, she was able to identify the shooter. They had all been right about their suspicions, John Dalton had been the killer and he’d fled when his grisly work was done. Now they just had to catch him before he hurt anyone else.
Caught Up
After shooting his elderly parents and his niece, Dalton fled Nebraska. He knew enough, even in that state, to know that they’d be after him first of all. Thankfully, word traveled fast. US Marshalls caught up with him the next day in Jackson, Tennessee. It also happened to be the same place he fled after killing his wife all those years ago.
Questions and Answers
When Claude finally arrived and spoke to his grieving ex, he couldn’t believe what had happened. There were so many questions in his mind. Why would Dalton have done such a thing? Why kill his own parents? Why Leonna, an innocent young girl? Was it because she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was there more to it?
Failed by the System
For his part, Claude remembers when Dalton killed his own wife quite well. He also recalled when Dalton was paroled and thinking at the time that he was paroled too early. He knew people who sold drugs who spent more time in prison. There was no way Dalton had learned his lesson. “The justice system failed us,” he explained in a recent interview.
Vengeance
While Dalton languished in jail, awaiting his trial, Claude sat at home, wracked by nightmares about his now-deceased daughter. He can’t sleep with the closet door open, for fear the image of his daughter may invade his slumbering mind. Vengeance is his only focus, he wanted to see Dalton put to death for what he’d done; but the court and Dalton apparently had other plans.
Robbed of Revenge
In the end, Dalton chose to plead guilty to the triple homicide; effectively robbing Claude of the sure justice he so desperately sought. Because the case didn’t go to trial, the prosecution couldn’t go for the death penalty. However, it did not preclude the victims’ families from making victim impact statements at his sentencing.
Losing it All
Alicia Dalton, John Dalton’s youngest daughter, was among the three children at home when Dalton killed her mother in 1998. As she stood before the court, she spoke of how devastating the deaths of her cousin and grandparents were to her and her family. “In a matter of seconds,” she explained tearfully, “everything I had was lost.”
Leonna Remembered
When she died, Leonna Dalton-Phillip was a high school senior with a 4.0 grade-point average. She was co-captain of the school’s drill team, a straight-A student, whom everyone loved. She even had plans to room with one of her sisters when she graduated in May. She would never make it and her dreams would die with her.
Destined for Greatness
To hear Claude tell it, his daughter was the light of not just his life, but everyone’s. She was bubbly, spirited, a happy soul who was always smiling and dancing. “My daughter was destined for greatness…She was taken by a cowardly act.” Phillip explained to the Register, in a reiteration of his victim impact statement.
Sentencing
When it was all said and done, John Dalton Jr. pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder. He also pleaded guilty to four weapons charges. He was sentenced to three life terms, one for each of his new victims, as well as 230 years in prison. Sure as anything, his life has been taken from him; just not in the way Claude would have liked.
Lingering Questions
Dalton never offered any explanation for his actions, just a guilty plea. More than anything though, Claude is undone by these lingering questions. His pain is great and his loss is terrible, but his curiosity is just as much of a cause of his suffering as anything else. “Why would you kill your parents, man? Why would you kill my daughter?” He may never get the answer.
