Brian Deneke was murdered on December 12, 1997. He was 19 years old. Many of you may have heard of the story of Brian Deneke of Amarillo,Texas, for the story is 3 years old (December,1997) but with all the media hype and attention it has recieved you may not have gotten the truth. Which is usually the case with ALL American Mainstream media. Remember, there is a difference between reporting the facts and the truth. Suffice it to say unless you have read articles in well informed underground magazines and fanzines the wool was probably been pulled over your eyes. Just like any town, big or small in America if you leave your house looking "different" you probably don't have to do much to get messed with. Such was the ongoing case with the punks in Amarillo. Dustin Camp, driving the 83' Cadillac which killed Brian deneke was a well-liked kinda guy according to his friends reported the Amarillo Globe News. He played JV football for Tacosa High School. Brian was a 19 year old punk. Tall blue mohawk, leather jacket, more or less a punk rock icon to the younger kids in his town, Brian put on shows and poetry readings at the I-40 Punkhouse and had the bands spend the night sleeping on his floor. He used his own money to run the shows. A week before the murder of Brian Deneke, Dustin Camp tried running over the self described "gutter-punk" John King who smashed out his car window. The punks of Amarillo were used to being yelled at, spit on and even beaten on occasion as Brian was once taken to the emergency room after getting beaten up by a pickup truck full of kids. IHOP was home away from home according to the punks of Amarillo. The IHOP was more crowded than usual on the night of December 12, 1997. A fight broke out in the parking lot. Not suprising from a punks standpoint, it was about 20 vs. 1, Brian being the one! His friends Chris Oles and John King approached the group fending off Brians assailants swinging baseball bats and batons. John King took out the back window of a red Chevy Blazer that flew past him and knocked Justin Devore unconcious with his baton in an attempt to get the kids off of Brian. Brian got up and walked away from the attack just as Dustin Camp pulled up intio the parking lot. Dustin Camp snapped. He blinsided Chris Oles and sent him up and over the car to land with a thud behind the car. From Oles' vantage point he saw Dustin Camps Cadillac then set it's sights at Brian Deneke. Brian was struck by the car, went up on the hood and under the car where it had run over him. Brians brother Jason ran to him and held him in his arms. "It was the sickest thing, and you probably don't read about it", said Chris Oles, "But they cheered". The high school kids cheered. According to Thomson's testimony Camp's next words out of his mouth were "I'm a Ninja in my caddy, i bet he liked that one" Brian Deneke died instantly.

Over the next few weeks police were everywhere. the confrontational happenings became more frequent with the punks trying to maintain their cool. In the courtroom security was tight. Dustin Camp's stand was that he killed Brian out of loyalty to his friends and if put in the same situation he would do it again. Camp's laywers picked apart Brian piece by piece. From his blood alcohol level to his piercings, tattoos and clothes. Camp said that he saw Brian hitting his friend Justin Devore repeadiatly with a club but the hospital reported that Devore had recieved one blow to the head which needed to be stiched up and Brian never hit Devore. In 1997 Camp told police that the Cadilac slid on a patch of ice and that there was no one in the car with him. Elise Thompson who was in the car with Dustin testified in court that Camp never swerved or tried to slow down as he swerved around to intentionally hit Brian. Dustin Camp was sentenced, get this, ten years probation and a $10, 000 fine. One in six in prison are there for marijuana, this kid kills someone & he gets probation!

Another thing you probably don't hear on the news or in the papers is after the verdict was announced Chris Oles raised his hand and asked "If this was the other way around and Brian had killed Dustin, would he have gotten probation". Prosecutor Murphy looked at him and said "Chris, I hate you. If this had been the other way around one of you guys would have been in jail. And we're sorry but that's the way the world works" If that is the way the world works I personally don't want any part of your perfect world. If you don't look "right" or fit into society's mold than you are placed on a lower scale of humanity correct? They do it everyday. They do it to blacks and minorities. They do it to punks and handicaps. They do it to anyone who cracks their mold. The crime against Brian Deneke was one done out of hate. And should be treated as a hate crime. Instead they call it "voluntary mutual combat". I didn't hear about Brian or any of his friends running down people in cars. Camp and his friends said while on trial that the fight that night was to "really mess up some kids that night, as an act of revenge for whatever slight had been delivered". If this doesn't convict them, what does?

The media never told the whole story. Yes they did call the punks, thugs. Yes they did quote Debbie Camp (Dustin's mother) saying she was "so proud" of her son Dustin for "taking care of his friends". But they left out all these little details that I am trying to point out to you now. I'm reporting this to you not to glorify the death of a punk kid but because the punks in Amarillo Texas face the same exact opposition that punks everywhere in the world face. Come show your support at this summers festival on July 31 in support of this Prejudice (Amarillo, TX). It is looking to be a huge thing including three seperate stages. Wonka Vision will be there handing out materials in support of positivity and Unity. Check out the web site at : www.briandeneke.org for the latest happenings. If you think Texas is too far there is a Car Pool support system going on at the web site. Anything is possible!

Written by Justin Luczejko (factual info with the help of Punk Planet Magazine)