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Out Of Proportion
(Continued from Page 1) not commit, I impulsively wiped off the barrel of the shotgun with the rag I was using to hold it.
Instantaneously, I realized this was a mistake and I put the gun down.
“I do not know whether or not in fact Roger Kidwell’s fingerprints were on the gun. I did not wipe off the stock or the chamber or the trigger of the gun. I then turned the gun over to Trooper Baines and Sgt. Milner who handled it and unloaded it with the same two rags I used and in the course of their handling the gun, at one point Sgt. Milner almost dropped the gun and caught it in mid air, before it hit the ground, with the rags.
This is why I can not honestly say whether or not any lack of fingerprints was a result of my handling of the weapon.”
Did Not Lie
When asked if he’d lied about his actions to the commonwealth’s attorney at any point, Konick answered: “No. When Doug Baumgardner first indicated to me that he had been told there were no fingerprints on the gun, I immediately told him that I had handled the gun with the rags and that Sgt. Milner had also.”
Konick was apprised that defense attorney John Dowd had been asked if he and attorney Rod Leffler had questioned Konick regarding the fingerprint incident and that Dowd had confirmed that (1) Konick admitted he had wiped the prints off and (2) they had then told him either he was to give the information to Baumgardner or they would. Konick did not deny making the admission. However, regarding their allegations in the previously sealed record, Konick said: “Mr. Dowd and Mr. Leffler have taken a considerable degree of license with the facts in drafting that motion with respect to my handling of the gun and my subsequent discussion with Mr. Baumgardner.”
Asked to explain his answers at the candidates forum, Konick said: “In my statement on October 5, I said that I would respond to the specific question read by Mr. Bird—whether or not it was a fact that there were no fingerprints on the gun. According to my information—which comes directly from Sgt. Milner— there were fingerprints on the gun but these fingerprints could not be identified.”
Konick was reminded that Bob Evans had stated: “It’s said that Konick wiped the fingerprints off the murder weapon...I don’t think it’s appropriate for a man like that to be running for commonwealth’s attorney” and that he had replied—apparently to Evans, “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to be running for commonwealth’s attorney if that were true. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to be practicing law in the state of Virginia if that were true.”
Replied Only To Bird
In Tuesday’s interview, Konick maintained he did not address Evan’s statement at all at the forum, “only the question read by Mr. Bird.” His remarks about the appropriateness of his candidacy were made in response to the question as to whether the police report stated there were no fingerprints on the gun. “If there were no fingerprints on the gun, then it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to run,” he said, adding that he had not responded to Evan’s statement “because I was under a court order not to respond to specific questions regarding the fingerprint matter.”
Returning to his type written statement, Konick read: “This incident is over and done with. It’s finished business. Although my experience and connection with this matter has been a very painful one for me and for my family and for my friends, I think I am a better person for it.
“The Bible says ‘Be not righteous overmuch...There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not.’
“This incident is not a campaign issue in the commonwealth’s attorney’s race. I don’t think people in Rappahannock County are interested in hearing either candidate tear down the other’s reputation. They are interested in who can do the best job for the future of Rappahannock County.
“I am not perfect and I never claimed to be but I do want to serve this community as commonwealth’s attorney and my determination to win this election remains as strong as ever. I don’t think this matter should be taken out of context and blown out of proportion for purely political reasons.”
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