The family of a Chicago woman serving a life sentence in a women's prison in China is pushing to bring her home.
"I will get my daughter back. … She will return to me," retired Chicago Police Sgt. Gene Hunt said. "She was a part of me … someone I could talk to, plan things with. The last time I talked to Dawn [was] a year ago."
Hunt maintains his only daughter, Dawn Hunt, is an innocent victim.
In 2014, Dawn Hunt told her father she'd won a beauty contest. The prize was an all-expense paid trip to Australia. During a stopover in China to pick up prize items, she was arrested for possession of methamphetamines.
The drugs were in the items she was given as a gift, according to Chinese authorities.
"She said, 'I checked out on [the] internet, and it was a legitimate company,'" Hunt said of his daughter. "What hurts me the most is that she is an innocent person. An innocent person is over there. They know she's innocent."
Now 53 years old, Dawn Hunt has health issues and needs an operation but refuses to have it done in China. Her family is hoping she'll be released.
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"One thing I told Dawn is not to be mad at Chinese people -- be mad at their leaders," Hunt said.
On Wednesday, Dawn Hunt's brother testified at a congressional hearing on human rights in China. The State Department told NBC Chicago in a statement: "Officials routinely visit Ms. Hunt to monitor her treatment, health, and safety."
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The most recent visit was in July 2024.
A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin sent us this statement: "Sen. Durbin's staff has been in touch with Ms. Hunt's family regarding her medical condition in recent years and reached out to the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou on the family’s behalf, including for consular access and access to adequate medical care. Sen. Durbin takes seriously his commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad and stands ready to provide whatever assistance is possible."
Hunt hired an attorney in China. He said he is pushing for the release of his daughter – and all Americans being held in foreign countries.
"Send them home, with peace and love," he said.
