A mother of four convicted in April of three counts of child abuse for underfeeding her children was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge.
Kimu Parker, 37, of Scottsdale, was arrested in April 2005 after three of her children were found extremely malnourished. Parker's 3-year-old girl weighed 12 pounds, her 9-year-old boy weighed 29 pounds and her 11-year-old girl weighed 36 pounds.
According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, a healthy 3-year-old should weigh about 30 pounds, a 9-year-old should weigh 50 to 60 pounds, and an 11-year-old should weigh about 80 pounds.
The Parkers sought medical attention for their 3-year-old daughter on April 23, 2005, after she stopped eating and was experiencing seizures and cold sweats. However, they did not call 911 for several hours as they tried their own natural and homeopathic treatments.
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A social worker at the Phoenix Children's Hospital examined the child and called police, who found the other two emaciated children in the family's Scottsdale home. Parker said they were following a strict vegan diet — avoiding meat, poultry, dairy and fish.
But authorities said the children were simply underfed and mistreated, deprived of meals as punishment. The children were taken by Child Protective Services and placed in foster homes.
Parker's fourth child was born in 2006, after the arrest, and is in the custody of her husband, Blair Parker, 37. He also faces child-abuse charges and is awaiting trial.
A CPS caseworker and relatives spoke on Kimu Parker's behalf at the hearing. Judge Thomas O'Toole said he did not believe she acted with criminal intent. However, he did say she acted recklessly.
