Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Sam Penrod Reporting...The case involving a Springville couple accused of killing their adopted daughter using a controversial behavior therapy, may take a new direction.
Richard and Jennette Killpack are charged with child abuse homicide in the death of four-year-old Kassandra Killpack.
Court proceedings have been rescheduled for later this week in the case, which was already put on hold early last month over questions on whether child abuse homicide is the right crime to pursue at trial.
Next week will mark the one year anniversary of the death of four year old Kassandra Killpack who died of what the medical examiner later ruled as water intoxication, a condition from consuming so much water that the girl literally drowned in her own body which caused her brain to swell.
Prosecutors allege the girl's parents forced her to drink the water as a punishment, as part of a behavior therapy that was suppose to help the adopted child bond with her parents.
The unusual circumstances in the case prompted the judge to issue a gag order to attorneys in the case, preventing them from talking about evidence or proceedings in the case.
Now in today's Deseret News, a source said to be close to the case is quoted as saying prosecutors are considering dropping the child abuse homicide charge and refiling different charges to better reflect what prosecutors insist was still a crime.
It appears to involve whether the parent's intended to kill the child or if her death was the result of abuse not meant to inflict fatal injuries.
A court hearing in this case is scheduled for Wednesday in Fourth District Court, which is expected to clarify where the case will go from here.
