It has been a little more than three months since a man dropped off Ku Klux Klan-like (KKK) garments at Leona Coakley-Spring’s consignment store, but the aftereffects of the incident still linger.

The Redmond resident no longer feels safe at her downtown store, From Rags to Riches, and has trouble even walking through the doorway.

The news that the man who dropped off the items — a white robe, white hood with eye holes and a loose rope — will not be charged with malicious harassment has not helped.

Coakley-Spring, who is black, is still traumatized by the event and is now selling her business, said Bobby Alexander, who spoke to the Redmond Reporter on Coakley-Spring’s behalf.

After a three-month-long investigation, Becky Range, public information officer for the Redmond Police Department (RPD), said their investigation found that it was difficult to show that the man’s actions were an intentional threat against Coakley-Spring or her family.

According to Range, the man had gone to dinner with his father at Spicy Talk Bistro, a restaurant located in the same complex as From Rags to Riches, a day or two prior to the Jan. 20 incident and spotted the consignment store. The two had been helping a friend of the father’s — who had been in hospice care following a stroke — by cleaning out the friend’s mother’s home in Tacoma. Range said the friend’s mother had died about 10 years ago.

While cleaning out the home, Range said the men, who are from the Redmond area, came across some dresses and they decided to sell them to Coakley-Spring’s consignment store.

When the son brought the dresses to the store, Range said he told police he had no idea there was anything else in the bag.

She said police found no fingerprints on the zip-close bag that contained the KKK-like items. Police also conducted interviews with Coakley-Spring, her son Shane Coakley and a customer who was in the store at the time, Range said.

In addition, she said police were able to substantiate the men’s claims regarding the father’s friend having a stroke and being in hospice, their helping to clean out the friend’s family home as well as the fact that they dined at the restaurant prior to the son dropping of the dresses at From Rags to Riches.

Range added that police have not found any criminal history or anything in either man’s background related to malicious harassment or threats. The father also told police he had no knowledge of the KKK-like items being included in the bag with the dresses.

Whether or not the incident was intentional, Alexander said something atrocious still happened and there is still a victim. He likened the situation to a person accidentally elbowing someone behind them. Alexander said while the action may not have been on purpose, the other person still has a black eye. He added that the individual who dropped off the items has yet to apologize to Coakley-Spring.

The incident prompted a series of events and rallies throughout the Eastside, organized by the Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition (ERLC), that emphasized the need to create a more inclusive community. People also spoke out against racism during these events.

Range said the investigation took a while because police only had partial, inaccurate information.

When Coakley-Spring wrote the check for the dresses, Range said the son gave the store owner his father’s name, not his own. And instead of giving his first name, the son gave his father’s middle name and Range said the last name was misspelled on the check but similar to the last name of the account in which it was deposited. Police were able to track down the men after the father deposited the check into his account on Feb. 2.

Range said RPD finalized its investigation on Feb. 16 and forwarded it to the King County prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors worked with RPD on followup and consulted with the U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI on the case, as well. The King County prosecutor’s office contacted RPD on Friday to notify them that there would be no charges. Range said the prosecutor determined the case to be legally insufficient.

A court document states that “to prove the crime of malicious harassment, the State must prove that the suspect acted with an intent to maliciously threaten a specific person or group of persons based on their race. The State cannot prove that the suspect knew that the robe was within the dresses that he was providing to consignment.” The document continues, stating that the suspect did not try to hide his identity or his father’s.

Following the investigation, Range said it is good news that there is not someone going around town trying to threaten people, adding that police have not been able to confirm whether the items were actually used by members of the KKK.

“We don’t know if it’s authentic,” Range said.

For Coakley-Spring, the items’ authenticity does not matter.

“It’s very real for Ms. Leona,” said Alexander.

Alexander’s mother, Mary Alexander, said even if the items were a costume, it doesn’t matter. What they represented hurt Coakley-Spring.

After learning about the investigation’s results on Monday, Mary went to Coakley-Spring’s store on Tuesday to support the other woman during this difficult time and let her know that what has happened to her is not right or OK.

While there will be no charges, Bobby said they want people to understand that criminal action still took place even if “it wasn’t taken into account on a criminal level.”

Despite the official findings, both the court and Range acknowledge how much the incident has affected Coakley-Spring and the greater community.

The court document states, “there is no doubt that the owner of the store suffered great emotional trauma and fear from this event.”

Range added, “Regardless of the investigation outcome, we acknowledge the emotional impact this type of incident can have on the victim and a community,” she said.

Bobby said the results of the investigation have made Coakley-Spring feel like she has been told she was never in danger, and being told she was safe is dismissive of how the incident has affected her and her family.

He added that they are also concerned that the investigation’s findings will have the community — especially those who are not people of color — walking away from the situation feeling good about themselves because there is no racism here. The results do not change anything for Coakley-Spring, Bobby noted.

“We’re not going to get what we want,” he said about seeing the individual face the consequences and be held accountable for his actions.