One woman’s sloppy crime and cover up has landed her and her child’s father in custody — for murder.
Donnell Dana and Kailie Brackett, both 38 and both from Perry, Maine, appeared remotely before a judge at Machias Superior Court Monday afternoon. Both are charged with one count of murder.
The authorities say Dana and Brackett are responsible for the death of 43-year-old Kimberly Neptune. Neptune was found deceased inside her apartment at the end of April.
Shortly after the discovery of Neptune’s body, a neighbor’s security camera footage became a focal point in the investigation. The security footage not only showed an individual leaving the scene of the crime, footage also revealed the same suspect a day earlier walking up to the security camera — in what some are speculating was an attempt to dismantle the camera prior to committing the murder.
Suspect seen leaving the apartment of Kim Neptune just hours before her body was discovered.
For nearly a week after the murder, Brackett posted on her Facebook page about her deceased ‘best friend’, even changing her profile picture to that of her with Neptune. Brackett made and distributed flyers throughout the community, looking for answers in regards to who killed her best friend. A portrayal of sadness and the urge for justice flooded Brackett’s Facebook page.
As web sleuths and investigators went over the security footage, bits and pieces began tying Brackett to the case.
Top two photos are from Kailie Brackett’s Facebook page. Bottom two are via suspect security footage.
Bracket went as far as giving this interview to the news just a day after Neptune’s body was found:
Kailie Brackett, also a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, told Native News Online earlier this week that she and Neptune, who she called “Kimba”, were best friends for the past 24 years.
“She was the closest person to me on this planet, besides my son,” Brackett said. “Even my father called her his other daughter. Kimba was such a great person with a heart of gold.”
Brackett said the community of Perry has been impacted by the Neptune’s death.
“Our entire community is broken and in fear,” Brackett said. “The cops are working hard to solve this, which we all appreciate because our community will never be the same without Kimba.”
The more web sleuths combed through Brackett’s Facebook page, the more it appeared that Brackett was possibly the individual seen in the security footage.
As days pressed on, video footage could be found on social media, posted by community members — of the Maine State Police kicking in Brackett’s door and conducting a search warrant. The very next day, Brackett and Dana were pulled over as they were leaving town and arrested on charges of murder.
Details of the crime are unknown, but what is known, is that Neptune appeared to have fought for her life extremely hard. A Maine judge has ordered the details of the case sealed at this time.
Brackett is not a stranger to the prison system, as she has served time in the past for robbery and the involvement in a high speed chase.
In a Facebook post made by Brackett just days after the murder, she stated that her and Neptune were both at Brackett’s home on the night of the murder. Brackett stated that Neptune left to go home around 11 p.m., claiming that Neptune was going home to ‘meet someone’, but Brackett never asked who that someone was.
The motive for the killing is still unknown. But it surely takes an evil soul to murder your best friend of 24-years.