Prison for Tooele woman who killed adopted Russian son
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TOOELE - A Tooele mother who admitted killing a 14-month-old boy whom she and her husband adopted from Russia was sentenced Friday to prison for up to 15 years.
Kimberly K. Emelyantsev, 34, who had pleaded guilty to second-degree felony child-abuse homicide in the death of Nicoli Emelyantsev, offered a tearful apology in 3rd District Court.
"What I did was cause the death of my son and I will never get over that, ever. I'm ashamed," Emelyantsev told 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris.
"I would just like you to know, Sir, that I am truly sorry. But sorry will never bring him back."
Defense attorney Jon Williams noted that one of the couple's three biological children, and the two children they adopted from Russia, were born with Down syndrome children.
Williams said Emelyantsev blamed the death on a stressful home environment and the "pressures of a husband [Fyodor Emelyantsev] who would not participate in an extraordinary familial situation."
Williams added that Kimberly Emelyantsev never wanted to adopt this child from Russia, but was afraid to say no to her husband and afraid of how it would look to others if she did not go through with the adoption.
Noting that Kimberly Emelyantsev suffered from a depressive disorder at the time of the homicide, Williams asked the judged to impose jail and probation rather than prison.
But Tooele County Attorney Doug Hogan asked for prison because of the violence involved in the baby's death.
Kimberly Emelyantsev had initially claimed she deliberately dropped the baby twice, out of frustration, on March 6. The baby died the following day from a skull fracture that resulted from blunt-force trauma, according to charging documents.
But during a diagnostic evaluation at the Utah State Prison, the woman admitted grabbing the child by an arm and a leg, slammed him to the floor, then repeating the action.
The judge said that while the crime deserved prison time, he told the defendant, "I understand that you aren't a mean person.
"As terrible as this is, there is going to be life on the other side of this," the judge added.
In addition to the homicide charge, Emelyantsev and her husband, 32-year-old Fyodor Emelyantsev, were charged in connection with the alleged starvation of a 4-year-old boy they adopted from Russia. Those charges were dropped in June because of insufficient evidence.
The couple's three biological children along with the 4-year-old Russian child were placed in the custody of Emelyantsev's family after the two were charged. Emelyantsev plans to permanently relinquish custody.
The Emelyantsev's are still married, but husband did not attend Friday's sentencing hearing.
Nearly 20 other family and friends of Kimberly Emelyantsev gathered in the courtroom Friday to support her.
mrogers@sltrib.com
Kimberly K. Emelyantsev, 34, who had pleaded guilty to second-degree felony child-abuse homicide in the death of Nicoli Emelyantsev, offered a tearful apology in 3rd District Court.
"What I did was cause the death of my son and I will never get over that, ever. I'm ashamed," Emelyantsev told 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris.
"I would just like you to know, Sir, that I am truly sorry. But sorry will never bring him back."
Defense attorney Jon Williams noted that one of the couple's three biological children, and the two children they adopted from Russia, were born with Down syndrome children.
Williams said Emelyantsev blamed the death on a stressful home environment and the "pressures of a husband [Fyodor Emelyantsev] who would not participate in an extraordinary familial situation."
Williams added that Kimberly Emelyantsev never wanted to adopt this child from Russia, but was afraid to say no to her husband and afraid of how it would look to others if she did not go through with the adoption.
Noting that Kimberly Emelyantsev suffered from a depressive disorder at the time of the homicide, Williams asked the judged to impose jail and probation rather than prison.
But Tooele County Attorney Doug Hogan asked for prison because of the violence involved in the baby's death.
Kimberly Emelyantsev had initially claimed she deliberately dropped the baby twice, out of frustration, on March 6. The baby died the following day from a skull fracture that resulted from blunt-force trauma, according to charging documents.
But during a diagnostic evaluation at the Utah State Prison, the woman admitted grabbing the child by an arm and a leg, slammed him to the floor, then repeating the action.
The judge said that while the crime deserved prison time, he told the defendant, "I understand that you aren't a mean person.
"As terrible as this is, there is going to be life on the other side of this," the judge added.
In addition to the homicide charge, Emelyantsev and her husband, 32-year-old Fyodor Emelyantsev, were charged in connection with the alleged starvation of a 4-year-old boy they adopted from Russia. Those charges were dropped in June because of insufficient evidence.
The couple's three biological children along with the 4-year-old Russian child were placed in the custody of Emelyantsev's family after the two were charged. Emelyantsev plans to permanently relinquish custody.
The Emelyantsev's are still married, but husband did not attend Friday's sentencing hearing.
Nearly 20 other family and friends of Kimberly Emelyantsev gathered in the courtroom Friday to support her.
mrogers@sltrib.com
2008 Oct 10