Kitsap Woman Arrested In Death Of Adopted Boy
Kitsap Woman Arrested In Death Of Adopted Boy
By Akiko Fujita Published: Aug 28, 2006 at 10:43 AM PST Last Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 7:36 AM PST
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PORT ORCHARD, WASH. - A Kitsap County mother pled innocent to charges of homicide by abuse and manslaughter in the first degree Monday.
Kimberly Forder is accused of killing her 8-year-old son Christopher Michael four years ago and abusing her other children. Bail has been set at $1 million.
"As the investigation progressed, it became readily apparent that something was not normal about this child's demise," said Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer. "Reasonable suspicions started to elevate in the investigated sense."
Detectives were first called to the Forders' home in Seabeck the night of Nov. 24, 2002. Inside, they found Forder's adopted son Christopher dead.
"I saw a lifeless young boy who had been battered," said Detective Lori Blackenship. "Appeared to be battered; bruises, multiple bruises throughout his body."
The Forders told detectives the bruises were the result of a disorder, though the two never sought medical help. An autopsy revealed Christopher died from pneumonia but the county coroner never determined the manner in which he died and kept the case open.
Detectives got the break they needed when deputies arrested Kimberly's oldest son Michael Vincent Forder for sexually assaulting his younger sister. Michael is currently in jail pending trial.
During the course of the investigation, detectives determined the Forders had moved to Liberia, Africa with their seven adopted children.
On Aug. 9, the Sheriff's office received a referral report from Child Protective Services in Oregon. The report said the oldest Forder daughter Jennifer had come forward with information about Christopher's death.
She told detectives about a disturbing pattern of abuse and one that fell primarily on Christopher.
Court documents reveal that on one occasion, Jennifer said Christopher "was forced to urinate... on himself. He was forced to wash his own clothing in a five gallon bucket on an outside porch and if that wasn't done correctly, her mother would dunk his head in the bucket that contained the soiled clothing until he stopped struggling."
Stunner neighbors say the family was the picture of happiness. The Parypas lived next door to the Forders and said they never suspected abuse.
"Always lots of noise playing, laughing, giggling, we'd see them walking down to the end of the street for the bus," said Sue Parypa.
The Forders had 8 children; five of them adopted. They recently sold their house in Seabeck and moved to Liberia months after adopting triplets from the country.
Kimberly Forder was in the U.S. to seek medical treatment and planned to go back to Africa, before she was arrested.
"I don't believe it, I really don't," said neighbor Greg Parypa. "I think the county is going pretty overboard with this I really do."
The Parypas say the Forders were a deeply religious family that home-schooled their children and always stayed close to home.
Robert Forder remains in Liberia with his adopted children. Boyer said detectives are investigating him to see if he was involved in the abuse.