Neighbor: Teen saw herself as siblings' protector

KIM NORVELL   | knorvell@dmreg.com

Natalie Finn was remembered Thursday by neighbors as an outgoing teenager with a sweet personality.

The 16-year-old West Des Moines girl died Oct. 24 from emaciation due to denial of critical care, according to the Polk County medical examiner's office. Her mother, 42-year-old Nicole Marie Finn of West Des Moines, and father, 45-year-old Joseph Michael Finn II of Urbandale, were charged Thursday in her death.

Next-door neighbor Tiana Curtis told the Register this fall that the teenager had repeatedly asked neighbors for food and clothing in the months before her death. The well-being of Natalie and her siblings was an "ongoing neighborhood concern," Curtis said.

"I was so, so afraid that justice wouldn’t be done," neighbor Becca Gordon said Thursday. She lives two blocks from Natalie's home near the intersection of 15th Street and Mountain Avenue in West Des Monies. The teenager, a friend of Gordon's son, regularly stopped by the home to eat breakfast for about a month in late 2015.

Nicole Finn, the girl's mother, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, one count of child endangerment resulting in death, three counts of child endangerment causing serious injury and three counts of neglect of a dependent person.

Her father, Joseph Finn, was charged with three counts of first-degree kidnapping, three counts of child endangerment causing serious injury and three counts of neglect of a dependent person.

Some of the charges involve two other minor children living in the West Des Moines home, according to a police department news release.

Police began investigating the Finns after responding to the home in October when Natalie was suffering cardiac arrest. She later died at a local hospital, police said. The death was considered suspicious, but it was not immediately labeled a homicide.

An autopsy and more than 30 interviews were conducted before police arrested the parents, according to the news release. A search warrant was executed on the home Nov. 2.

Natalie Finn was friends with Gordon's 18-year-old son. The teenagers both attended Walnut Creek Campus, the West Des Moines school district's alternative high school.

Gordon said she reached out to Natalie's mother on multiple occasions for permission to include the teenager in extracurricular activities, but Nicole Finn did not respond to her text messages.

"It was clear that aside from school, there was no social life outside of the home," Gordon said. "But (Walnut Creek) is like a big family, and I think that's what it was like for Nat."

Natalie was a student at Walnut Creek during the 2014-15 school year, but she was not enrolled this school year, said Elaine Watkins-Miller, spokeswoman for West Des Moines Community Schools. Watkins-Miller declined to comment on the case or make Natalie's former teachers available for interviews.

"Our hearts ache for the loss of such a sweet, beautiful young woman," Watkins-Miller said in a statement. "Those who knew her will remember her smile and her kindness."

Gordon said Natalie took part in activities that Walnut Creek offered during the school day, including performing an original rap song in the school's talent show last year. "She was not afraid of anything," she said.

She described the teenager as outgoing and talkative. She had "no filter," Gordon said.

Natalie considered herself the "protector" or her younger siblings, who lived with her in the West Des Moines home, Gordon said. And she was generous with what she had. The teenager gave her a muffin for her birthday last year, she said.

"She had just the friendliest, bubbliest, beautiful personality. She was just wonderful," Gordon said. "What a waste of a beautiful life."

Nicole Finn and Joseph Finn II were divorced in 2011.

According to Secretary of State records, Nicole Finn owned and operated a pet rescue organization out of her West Des Moines home. CARE Pet Rescue had been active on social media through Dec. 5. The nonprofit had several Go Fund Me campaigns requesting money to pay for animal care. A description of the organization on adoptapet.com says its mission is “ to place dogs into loving homes, but also to educate dog owners about responsible pet ownership.”

The Finns are both being held in the Polk County Jail. Nicole Finn has a $2.1 million cash bond. Joseph Finn's bond is set at $1.5 million cash.

The Iowa Department of Human Service assisted with the investigation.