Killpack walks free after six years in prison
Jennete Killpack reacts during her hearing in Utah's 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, Friday, Jan. 6, 2005. Killpack was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison Friday for child abuse homicide in the forced-drinking death of her 4-year-old daughter, court officials said. (AP Photo/Keith Johnson, Pool)
Nearly 10 years after she killed her daughter and six years after being sentenced to prison, Jennete Killpack became a free woman Tuesday morning.
The 36-year-old Springville mother was granted parole last year during a parole hearing and subsequently was released on schedule. Utah board of pardons and parole spokesman Jim Hatch said Killpack left the prison at about 9:30 a.m.
Killpack was convicted in 2005 of killing her 4-year-old adopted daughter by forcing the girl to drink excessive amounts of water, and sentenced in 2006 to one to 15 years in prison. Sometimes described as “water intoxication,” the incident, which happened in 2002, caused the girl’s brain to swell and her lungs to fill with liquid. She eventually passed out, then died. Prosecutors said Killpack was punishing the girl for sneaking some Kool-Aid.
The incident led to Killpack’s conviction by a jury of child abuse homicide in October 2005. Killpack’s husband, Richard, was acquitted of the same charge.
A statement released by the Utah board of pardons and parole said board members “struggled a great deal in determining” Killpack’s sentence. But the statement characterizes Killpack as a non-risk, citing her lack of criminal history, her community support and the fact that she safely maintained custody of her other children before her conviction.
“The board also concluded that she did not intend this child’s death,” the statement relates, “and while extremely reckless and dangerous, she was following the advice of so-called experts in meting out punishment.”
According to the statement, Killpack’s other children have suffered in her absence and her “husband pleaded for her to come home.”
Hatch added that Killpack completed life-skills programming in prison and would likely spend three years on parole.
