CAMDEN FRY - 8 yo (2009) - North Kingstown RI

Jury has case in mom's murder trial
Kimberly Fry charged with killing her daughter, 8

Updated: Wednesday, 05 Oct 2011, 7:11 PM EDT


Kimberly Fry charged with killing her daughter, 8

Updated: Wednesday, 05 Oct 2011, 7:11 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 05 Oct 2011, 10:44 AM EDT

Shaun Towne
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) - After 12 days of testimony, 19 witnesses, dozens of exhibits and a day of dramatic closing arguments - the fate of a mother accused of strangling her daughter with her bare hands is now in the hands of the jury.

The judge charged the panel of seven women and five men Wednesday afternoon, after closing arguments in the case wrapped up at Washington County Superior Court shortly before 3 p.m.

The jury is deliberating whether or not to convict Kimberly Fry of second-degree murder in the 2009 death of her 8-year-old daughter, Camden.

While no one disputed during the trial that Fry killed the little girl after the child refused to take a bath; the defense and prosecution differed about intent.

The Defense

Fry's attorney Wednesday maintained her client never intended to hurt the child, who often acted out in violent tantrums.

Attorney Sarah Wright took an hour and 40 minutes for her closing argument, depicting Fry as a dedicated mother who suffered from depression.

"I would suggest to you there's no way the state proved this woman hurt her daughter intentionally," Wright told jurors.

She said Fry sat on the child to calm her down. She said Fry figured Camden had tired herself out during the tantrum and did not know the child was dead when put her in bed the night of Aug. 10, 2009. The little girl's father found the child's body the next morning.

The Prosecution

In a dramatic turn of events, the courtroom fell silent for several minutes during Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine's closing argument.

Everyone in the courtroom watched as a stopwatch counted down five minutes; the amount of time - give or take - that pressure would have had to have been applied in order to bring the little girl from unconsciousness to death.

"[Fry's conduct] implies an extreme indifference for the sanctity of human life. That's murder in the second degree. That is murder in the second degree," said Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine, who took 50 minutes for his closing argument. "You will have to have the courage, the courage and stand up to those big words of accidental and tragic and unintentional and stand up here and say MURDER! Because that's what happened here. That's what happened here."

Using phrases such as "hardness of the heart" and "cruelty or wickedness of disposition," Regine asked jurors to convict Fry of second-degree murder.

"Camden had the right to have a tantrum. [Fry] didn't have the right to end the tantrum in that way," he said.

During instructions, the judge told jurors they could convict on either murder in the second degree or manslaughter.

http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/south_county/south-kingstown-murder-trial-of-local-mom-kimberly-fry-winding-down

Jury finds RI mom guilty of murder
Kimberly Fry accused of killing daughter, 8

Updated: Thursday, 06 Oct 2011, 7:43 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 06 Oct 2011, 10:23 AM EDT

By Nancy Krause, Digital Executive Producer
Shaun Towne
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) - More than two years after Kimberly Fry used her bare hands to strangle her 8-year-old daughter during a bathtime struggle, as Washington County jury Thursday found the North Kingstown mother guilty of second-degree murder.

After 12 days of testimony, 19 witnesses, and about seven hours of deliberations, the panel of seven women and five men returned its decision shortly after 3 p.m. inside Superior Court.

Fry, 38, was accused of strangling her daughter Camden to death in 2009, after the 8-year-old refused to take a bath.

The jury was deciding between second-degree murder and the lesser charge of manslaughter.


During closing arguments, Fry's lawyer said Camden's death was an accident, the result of a restraint attempt by Fry to control the young girl's tantrum. The prosecution argued otherwise, that Camden died of asphyxiation through intentional strangulation.

Fry faces up to life in prison with a possibility of parole after 20 years when she is sentenced.

http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/south_county/south-kingstown-jury-to-decide-fate-of-local-mother-kimberly-fry

Juror speaks out on Fry case
Juror: Fry knew what she was doing

Updated: Friday, 07 Oct 2011, 9:22 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 07 Oct 2011, 9:22 PM EDT

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) - A juror who served on the Kimberly Fry murder trial spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News about her decision making and thought process leading up to the Rhode Island mother's conviction.

Patrica Sager was candid in her interview with Eyewitness News reporter Sean Daly, saying she believes Fry knew what she was doing when she strangled her 8-year old daughter to death.

"She had that momentary call to judgement of, 'Do I stop and call for help, or do I continue to choke the child and strangle her?' And she made that decision," Sager said.

"I did not see evidence of an accident," she said. "I saw second degree murder, and that was my vote."

The juror said she feels sympathy for Camden Fry, who was killed by her mother during a tantrum over taking a bath.

"None of this is Camden's fault. A parent is there to protect, a parent is there to nurture. If the child has difficulties the parent should give the child help."

http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/south_county/juror-speaks-out-on-fry-case