In North Carolina, a tragic incident has led to the arrest of a mother following the death of her teenage daughter. Authorities apprehended Kymberli Bowden, aged 44, three weeks after her 13-year-old daughter was discovered deceased, reportedly due to neglect, in their residence in High Point.
On the day of the arrest, officers from High Point police detained Bowden at her home on East Farris Avenue. The grim discovery on October 13 not only involved the deceased daughter but also her twin brother, who was found alive at the scene, as reported by Fox 8.
The situation inside the home was described as dire. According to WXII 12, police encountered a property overwhelmed by squalor, with trash and decaying food scattered throughout. A warrant detailed that Bowden had failed in her duty to provide necessary food and medical care, factors believed to have played a part in her daughter’s untimely death.
In a court hearing held virtually from jail, Bowden faced Judge Caroline Tomlinson-Pemberton. The judge outlined the charges against her, which include two class H felonies for neglect and child abuse resulting in bodily injury, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 88 months. Additionally, Bowden faces a charge for failing to report the death of a child, a class H felony with a possible 39-month sentence, according to Fox 8.
During the court proceedings, the prosecutor provided further insight into the appalling state of Bowden’s home, underscoring the severity of the conditions that were uncovered.
The prosecutor addressed the state of Bowden’s home.
“The conditions of the house were unsanitary,” the prosecutor said. “Officers also noticed inside of the residence that there was a gas stove, and it appeared that there was a danger … that residence was actually causing some type of toxication from the gas stove, but it wasn’t properly lit.”
The prosecutor highlighted that Bowden wasn’t only the children’s mother, but also a certified nursing assistant who was required to know how to provide care. “She was being provided money for that particular role.”
Courts are still waiting on the official autopsy results.
Bowden’s bond was set at $1 million. She has obtained a public defender, according to Fox 8.
[Feature Photo via High Point Police Department]
