Nearly 30 years after Denna Fredericka Campbell, a D.C. Metropolitan Police officer, was shot and killed in 1995 in the White Oak condominium they shared, a 62-year-old Laurel man has been taken into custody.
After Montgomery County police conducted a new investigation and filed a warrant earlier this week, Ali, once known as Kenneth Burnell Wonsom, was accused.
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Montgomery County Task Force Officers attached to the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Laurel, Maryland, captured Amir Jalil Ali, age 62, according to MCPD. He faces charges in relation to Denna Fredericka Campbell’s death in 1995.
After Campbell was discovered dead in the 1500 block of Heather Hollow Circle on Saturday, September 16, 1995, detectives from the Major Crimes Division Homicide and Cold matter Sections have been looking into the matter ever since. Five shots had been fired at Campbell.
Campbell had been assigned to the 7th District of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for four years at the time of her death. The firearm that was issued to Campbell by the department was not found in the residence.
In 1995, Ali, then known as Kenneth Burnell Wonsom, told police that he had left the apartment after three in the morning to go to the shop and that when he returned, Campbell was not responding. At at 5:04 a.m., he contacted 9-1-1 to report that his girlfriend had been shot during a break-in.
Two months after Wonsom was first charged in the case in 1995, the charges were withdrawn. In 2021, he legally adopted the name Amir Jalil Ali.
Detectives analyzed information from the initial case files and reexamined evidence as the inquiry progressed. On Sunday, August 3, 2025, a warrant was acquired for Ali’s arrest.
Chief Marc Yamada of the Montgomery County Department of Police remarked, “Our detectives demonstrated true grit and determination, never giving up as they continued to re-examine evidence and follow leads as they emerged.” We hope that this arrest will provide some closure to Officer Campbell’s family, friends, and fellow cops who have been waiting for justice for thirty years. It is a big step forward in a long-running investigation.
According to MPD Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith, this arrest is a potent reminder that Officer Campbell’s life and service have not been forgotten and it demonstrates the commitment and tenacity of the investigators handling this case. Officer Campbell’s family and friends are in my prayers and thoughts, and I hope that today’s news will bring them comfort.
In anticipation of a bond hearing, Amir Jalil Ali is presently being detained at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.
