State Claims Commission Denies Claim Involving Murder Of Woman At Rest Stop
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
The state Claims Commission today
unanimously denied a claim by a New Jersey family that argued the
state is liable for the murder of their daughter at an Arkansas
rest stop.
Twenty-five-year-old Kristin Laurite was stabbed to death in
2000 at a rest area off Interstate 40 in Morrilton. Her killer
hasn`t been found but authorities suspect the same person murdered
another woman in California.
The Laurite family, which claims the state should have closed
the rest stop long before Kristin`s death, was seeking three
million dollars in damages from the Claims Commission.
After its unanimous denial, the commission dismissed the case.
The panel said the state did not have a duty to keep the rest stop
safe or to warn patrons of dangerous conditions.
The commission considered whether the state Highway and
Transportation Department had any liability in Laurite`s death.
At the request of community leaders, the state closed the rest
area last year.
