A 60-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to her role in the death of local runner Cameron Bean, but the development brought only a sliver of relief to family and friends who must wait until February for Valerie Bray to be sentenced.
On Tuesday, Bray told Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz she was guilty of criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. Both are Class E felonies, said her attorney, Bill Speek. And one, criminally negligent homicide, is a lesser charge than what she originally faced on her indictment.
“Valerie Bray is a tremendous person just like Cameron Bean, two individuals that were very, very good people brought together in a very tragic manner,” Speek said afterward. “Valerie worked for 20 years at Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute caring for people as a [nurse] – on time, diligent, reliable. She just found herself in a situation that was immediate and reacted in a manner that led to Cameron Bean’s death, unfortunately.”
Cameron Bean is seen running in this photo contributed by his family.
Valerie BrayThat statement did not fully resonate with Alan Outlaw, who owns Fast Break Athletics and was friends with Bean. He and Bean were joking inside the store before the runner left for his final workout in September 2015.
“If Cameron Bean had struck someone, the last thing he would do is leave them there to die,” Outlaw told the Times Free Press. “And, unfortunately, things happen, and horrible things happen, but by no means can you put those two people in the same category.”