Police Investigate Unexplained Death Of Wylie Teenager
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The family of a 17-year-old is baffled by the mysterious circumstances surrounding her untimely death.
"She was just a very sweet precious girl. We loved her so much," said Cammi Stretch's grandparents, who raised her.
A Wylie East High School drop out, Stretch accidentally shot herself at an East Dallas motel, according to a man who dumped her at a hospital and threw the gun in a trashcan.
"He said she was going up the stairs this motel room where they were and that the gun dropped and discharged and hit her in the stomach," said Cammi's grandmother, Julie Stretch.
She isn't buying Joe Copeland's account of what happened the night Cammi died. Copeland is the 30-year-old ex-con who was with her the night she died. He told detectives that the gun, which killed the teenager early Friday belonged to her and that she was holding it.
"I don't believe him I don't believe that baby had a gun on her. She had never owned weapons, we don't have guns at the house," said Julie.
Cammi spent 16 years in that house after her mother gave up custody. But last October, she dropped out of school despite pleas from her grandparents not to.
"Everybody said it would only last a couple of weeks but I can say to the parents out there that may have this problem you need to stay on top of it," said Cammi's grandfather, Jay Pucket.
Now, less than a year later, their beautiful grandchild is dead.
"It's been real hard," said Pucket.
Julie and Jay said they don't know Danny Joe Copeland or how he ended up with the teenager at the motel last week.
They are counting on Dallas Police to find those answers including the truth about how she died.
Cammi's former Wylie East classmates gathered this week to launch balloons into sky and remember a girl lost too young.
Danny Joe Copeland is in the Dallas county jail charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.
Police are analyzing the gun to prove his account and right now have it classified as an unexplained death.
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