Slain Winnipegger Camille Runke sent plea for help on secret cellphone

Just three days before Camille Runke was killed, she sent her neighbour an email with photos of her estranged husband, a surprise revelation and strict instructions.

She had a secret cellphone to be used in case of emergency, including if the neighbour spotted Runke'sestranged husband.

• 'This is tragic,' Winnipeg police say of Camille Runke's death
• 'He has a rifle': Homicide victim had protection order against estranged ex

"Hi Romona"(sic), the email began. "These are some pictures of Kevin. If you see him, please call or text me, or call 911 right away. My private number isThanks, Camille."

Just days later, Runke was dead. And Ramona Kalid now understands why she kept the clandestine cellphone.

"She secretly had this phone so Kevin wouldn't know about it," Kalid said. "That's what she meant about it being private."

The province offers emergency cellphones to somevictims of domestic violence phones that fasttrack their 911 calls to top priority and, ideally, cut the police response time.

• Emergency cellphones not enough to save domestic violence victims, critics say

"How is this possible that this [phone] wouldn't be offered to her?" Kalid said. "This was a woman who was talking to me, that I could genuinely see how this was impacting her life hugely. She was frightened, she was scared."

Runke revealed secret

Kalid only knew Runke for two weeksbeforeRunke was gunned down outside her St. Boniface workplace on Oct. 30. Police believe she was killed by her estranged husband, who shot himself dead on Mondayafter police investigating Camille's death tried to stop his vehicle near St. Malo, Man.

Kalid very quickly suspected her new friend lived in fear.

During a chance meeting, Kalid asked her what was wrong. That's when Camille disclosed her story: the ongoing harassment, the escalating threat of violence and the revolving door of police visits.

"She even talked about getting a big dog, a guard dog to protect her," Kalid recalled. "But her yard was too small."

And so it was that Runke resorted to makeshift means of protection, such as her secret cellphone. But despite the fact she had a protection order against KevinRunke, despite the fact police were called 22 times to her home in connection withincidents with her estranged husband, she did not have one of the province's emergency cellphones.

The situation was similar forSelena Keeper. The 20-year-old was killed last month outside her North End home in Winnipeg. Her estranged partner is now charged with second-degree murder.

Keeper also didn't have one of the province's emergency cellphones. She couldn't even get a protection order.

• 54% of protection orders denied: Manitoba attorney general

"It's frustrating, it's so frustrating," said Sheila Hillier, executive director of the Interlake Women's Resource Centre. "Every woman who believes her life is in danger should be issued a phone."

The provincial program, called Cellphone Emergency Limited Link-up, or CELL, has been around in various forms under various names since 1997. Currently, there are 55 phone available to victims at risk, but they're rarely used. Just 18 women were assigned a phone last year, and only four were given phones the year before.

The process for accessing the phones is a daunting one, service providers said. Women who want a phone must make a formal complaint to police andconvince those who run the program that the offender has a history of physical or emotional violence. Then they must sign a contract agreeing to certain conditions.

"It's too intimidating," Hillier said.

Not enough phones, too many victims

The province is adding five new phones to the program this fall. The phones will be faster; victims need only push a button instead of dialling 911. GPS trackers will make it easier for police to find them if anemergency call goes out.

Those who worked with domestic violence victimslikethe upgrade, but they don't like the mathin a province with one of the highest spousal violence rates in the country.

Hundredsof women at risk could benefit from such phones, Hillier said, but only five will have access to them.

Kalid doesn't know if such a phone could have saved Runke's life, but she wishes her friend had been given the extra protection.

"It's shocking," Kalid said. "It's sad."

CBC producer Donna Carreiro can be reached at donna.carreiro@cbc.ca.