SAN ANTONIO – It’s a story that has left an entire neighborhood in shock. A father was killed in his home allegedly by his very own son.
As the community grapples with this horrifying event, a member of the victim’s family is speaking out on the role of mental health and what they believe could have been done to prevent this.
“He just wanted the best for everyone in the family and for me. That’s all he really did, was just work, go to work, pay his bills, and just be to himself,” said Adam Knopick, the victim’s stepson.
Knopick said Keith Dimmick, 65, raised him. Dimmick was brutally murdered, allegedly by his son, Bradley Dimmick, 35.
Knopick said Wednesday was the last day he heard from his stepdad.
“He never texted back. So I gave him a call three times, and he didn’t answer. And so, I gave the house phone a call, and no one answered, and I felt weird, but I just thought he was taking another day off or something like that,” Knopick said.
Knopick said his brother, Bradley Dimmick, battled with a schizoaffective disorder, and over time presented several alarming red flags, including attempting to kill his mother.
“Bipolar and schizophrenic, so, yeah, (Bradley) was not all there,” Knopick said.
“He did try to kill my mom a while back, and I don’t think my family reported it, but they tried to get him help and back on his meds, but he tried to do that, and then he did aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2017, trying to rob a gas station,” Knopick added. “And that’s when he got put into the mental state hospital. After 10 years go by, or eight years, they released him, and they shouldn’t have.”
Knopick said the state hospital released Bradley to their father, who was able to provide the required proof of residence. He said their father just wanted to help him.
“And when (Bradley) got out, he just refused to take his meds,” Knopick said.
Knopick said it was a release that wasn’t followed up by any check-ups.
“The messed-up part for the state hospital is they could have done a welfare check to check on him to make sure he’s taken his meds, or why didn’t he go to any appointments, or why he didn’t try to get his food stamps or just anything,” Knopick said.
Knopick now wants justice for his father and for his brother’s mental health disorders to be taken seriously.
“Tell, I guess, the world or the city to let people know that they need to do more checks on people like my brother. This could have been avoided,” Knopick said.
Knopick said he is seeking legal counsel, but the lawyers he has contacted don’t want to take the case. He said he wants the death penalty or life in prison for Bradley.
“I know Texas does lethal injection, but if not, then he should stay in prison for the rest of his life, where I could actually visit him and remind him every day of what he did to his dad and my dad,” Knopick said.