From Deseret News archives:
Lenient term is sought for mom
Let Killpack spend days at home, nights in prison, lawyer says
Killpack's lawyer, Mike Esplin, said the 29-year-old mother, who will be sentenced in December, did not mean to hurt her daughter.
"We're going to ask for a lenient sentence," Esplin said. "It was not an intentional act. There's no deterrent effect. By putting Jennete in prison you're not going to save a lot of kids from drinking too much water."
Esplin said he will push for a sentence that allows Jennete Killpack, who was found guilty last week of child-abuse homicide, to be at home with her four children while her husband is at work and serve prison time on nights and weekends.
"Despite the jury's findings, I think she's basically a good mother who loves her kids," Esplin said. "We would want something that allows her to still be a mom."
Utah County prosecutors say Jennete Killpack tied her daughter's hands behind her back and forced her to drink about a gallon of water for taking a sibling's drink on June 9, 2002. The Killpacks say they only gave the girl about 20 ounces, and that they do not know how she died.
On Sunday, five of the eight jurors told the Deseret Morning News they would have convicted Richard Killpack of child abuse if they could have, meaning both parents could have possibly served prison time.
But the only charge the Killpacks faced was child abuse homicide. One of the prosecutors in the case, Dave Sturgill, said there was no evidence or allegations that Richard Killpack had committed other child abuse against his daughter.
"I can live with what the jury did," Sturgill said. "The more I think about it, the more I think about the evidence they saw, I can understand what the jury did."
Sturgill said he saw Richard Killpack as a willing accomplice in his daughter's death. According to the Killpacks' testimony, Richard Killpack was gone for most of the incident prosecutors say led to Cassandra Killpack's death, and that when he returned home he first tried to help his wife force-feed the girl water and then told her to stop.
Esplin said Jennete Killpack was probably convicted because of prior incidents of abuse she admitted to during the trial including choking and hitting her daughter.
Esplin said those prior acts should not have been allowed as evidence during the trial. He said he will not consider an appeal until after Jennete Killpack's Dec. 6 sentencing.
"You have to respect the jury. They listened to the evidence. I'm biased, of course, and I disagree, but I'm not knocking their decision. I don't have to like it, though," he said.
E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com
Comments
- Police probe possible firebombing 9:28 a.m.
- BYU football recruit turning heads 9:04 a.m.
- Audit: S.L. County 911 'inefficient' 9:02 a.m.
- Audit calls for end to 'double dipping' 9:02 a.m.
- UCAT cheaper education option 9:02 a.m.
- VA promises response to war illness 8:17 a.m.
- Military sees increase in wounded 8:16 a.m.
- Who knew Hasan's radical contacts 8:13 a.m.
- Bomb kills 9 officers in Pakistan 8:13 a.m.
- Lights back in Brazil after outage 8:11 a.m.
- Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- Utah group finds homes for orphans
- Hair-pulling raises more questions
- Wyoming writer amazed by BYU
- Y. tight ends talented tandem
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- Utes get extra motivation
- 4 Jazz players make All-Star ballot
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- House passes health care bill
266 - TCU showdown has big implications
188 - Lobo suspended
185 - Senators want food tax restored
155 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
106 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
104 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants nationwide will honor...
is still open.
Does the LDS Church support "Everything-But-Marriage" as in Washington?? ...
I have never understood this. The LDS church does not want to support...
now how about the rights for "beastialitist", "transvestites", "polygamists"...
...is where were the officials while all this garbage was going on? They are...
but TCU's defense will score more than your offense. I admire the Utes...
The church recognizes these things as an obvious right of all people, will...
Good form Mr. Menlove and Mr. Witt, good form.
We beat a team that gave up. We beat a team we always beat. We beat a...
for those of us who don't follow BYU sports in general and especially not...



You can be the first to comment on this story.