| KOMO TV
Kitsap Woman Arrested
In Death Of Adopted Boy
August
28, 2006
By Akiko Fujita
 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.
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