Kari’s Law: The Murder That Made Us Rethink 9-1-1

One Mother's Murder. One Daughter's Call. One Law That Changed Everything.

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know this podcast usually serves up political scandal with a twist of hometown murder. But every so often, a case crashes through the noise—not because of who the victim was, but because someone took their grief to Capitol Hill and carved it into legislation.

This is one of those cases. This is the story of Kari Hunt.

Who is Kari Hunt?

Kari Hunt was a Texas mom. Loyal. Funny. Brave. The kind of person who could joke you into crossing a creek in a Bronco and then tighten her seatbelt with a dare in her eyes. She was one of four siblings and a mom to three kids of her own. Her dad, Hank Hunt, described her as stubborn, spirited, and the first one to show up if you needed her.

In 2004, Kari met a man named Brad Dunn at a club. By the end of the year, they were married and expecting their first child. They went on to have two more kids, and for a while, things looked picture perfect—at least from the outside. Behind closed doors, it was a different story. There were no documented cases of Brad physically abusing Kari, but according to family, the emotional and verbal abuse ran deep. When Kari told Brad she wanted a divorce in November 2013, everything started to unravel. She left with the kids. Moved in with her sister. Tried to start over.

Brad? He spiraled.

He hacked her Facebook (okay, he guessed her password, let’s not give him too much credit) and found messages to a man named Todd. One said, “I enjoyed last night.” That was all it took. Brad decided Kari was cheating. Never mind that they were separated. Never mind that she was allowed to move on.

What came next was a masterclass in obsessive control. He flooded her phone with texts. He called Todd to confront him. He raged. And three weeks later, he asked to see the kids. Kari agreed—despite warnings from her dad. Despite the threats. Despite the fear.

She took the kids to a Baymont Inn in Marshall, Texas. It was supposed to be a neutral location. Public. Safe. Just a handoff.

It became a crime scene.

The Murder

Kari and Brad stepped into the hotel bathroom to talk. The kids stayed on the bed watching cartoons.

Inside the bathroom, the conversation got heated. Brad brought up Todd. Kari insisted she hadn’t cheated. She told him it was over. That he needed to let go; so, he hugged her. And then he didn’t let go.

Instead, he pulled out a knife.

Brad Dunn stabbed Kari Hunt 21 times, while their children were just feet away on the other side of the door.

When her eldest daughter asked what the commotion was, Kari had a simple instruction:

“Call 9-1-1.”

And her 9-year-old daughter tried. Four times. But none of the calls went through.

Why?

Because hotel phones, like many business phone systems, required you to dial “9” first to get an outside line. This little girl didn’t know that. She did what every kid is trained to do. She dialed 9-1-1. Over and over again. And got nothing.

The Aftermath

Brad fled the scene with his youngest daughter. He left voicemails confessing to the murder: “I snapped. I killed Kari. I hated her.”

Police caught up with him quickly. He was arrested, charged, and ultimately sentenced to life in prison. But the story doesn’t end there.

Hank Hunt, Kari’s father, was grieving—but he was also furious. Furious that his granddaughter had done everything right and still couldn’t get help. Furious that no one had ever fixed this. So he decided to fix it himself.

Kari’s Law

Hank Hunt lobbied Congress. He told Kari’s story over and over again. And in a rare moment of bipartisan consensus, lawmakers listened.

In 2018, Congress passed Kari’s Law. It requires all multi-line phone systems (think: hotels, offices, campuses) to allow direct 9-1-1 calls

without having to dial a prefix.

It’s simple. It’s obvious. And it’s a reform we never should’ve needed a murder to pass.

But that’s what it took.

A Name That Means Safety

Kari Hunt never got the help she needed. But her name now ensures that others will. Kari’s Law is for the 9-year-old who tried. It’s for every parent who tells their kid, “Just call 9-1-1.” It’s for the thousands of people who live and work in buildings where outdated phone systems could cost lives.

It’s for Kari.

Because when you call 9-1-1, someone should answer.

No prefixes.

No barriers.

No missed chances.

Just help.

Rest in Peace, Kari.

Sources

https://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/news/wrongful-death-kari-dunn-trial-continues-with-testimony-of-daughter-mother-killer/article_33c0ed2a-73eb-11e8-b703-9f3ccfb1fbe1.html

https://www.kltv.com/story/28248723/more-details-revealed-in-sentencing-hearing-for-karis-law-trial/

https://www.news-journal.com/news/local/testimony-wife-cut-29-times/article_8c55074c-cebf-5edd-bed0-f04b544d2ad0.html

https://www.kltv.com/story/28272864/jury-sentences-dunn-to-99-years-for-murder-of-wife-in-marshall-hotel/