Community Corner

Jury Selection Continues in Fry Trial

Judge William Carnes Jr. ruled that South County Hospital workers' testimony will be admissible as attorneys work on paring down the juror pool.

Jury interviews will resume Wednesday morning as attorneys continue paring down a pool of 53 prospective jurors, 12 of whom will decide the fate of Kimberly Fry.

Prosecutor Stephen Regine and defense attorney Sarah Wright used most of the second-degree murder trial's first day Tuesday questioning potential jurors on their ability to impartially listen to testimony and make unbiased decisions. Together, the attorneys and Judge William E. Carnes Jr. will empanel 14 jurors (two will be alternates) to decide whether Fry strangled her 8-year-old daughter, Camden, on Aug. 10, 2009.

The attorneys questioned jurors extensively about their knowledge of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, a condition with which Camden had reportedly been diagnosed. Some jurors, when questioned about their knowledge of the case, referred to the trial of Casey Anthony, the Florida woman who was aquitted in July of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, during a nationally televised trial. Wright acknowledged the inevitability of the comparison, but cautioned jurors that — besides the charges — the cases are not at all similar.

Find out what's happening in North Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wright also warned the jurors that they will be exposed to "heart-wrenching" testimony and graphic photos as she defends charges that Fry killed her daughter in their home on Ricci Lane after the young girl refused to take a bath. Timothy Fry, Camden's father, who was not home at the time of the girl's death, found her body the next morning on her bed and called 911.

Kimberly Fry initially told police Camden had fallen in the shower, then that she had fallen on the bathroom floor. She broke down when authorities were removing the girl's body, repeatedly saying "I'm sorry," according to police reports.

Find out what's happening in North Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fry, who had reportedly taken a mix of anti-depressants and pain killers in a suicide attempt, was placed on suicide watch at South County Hospital, where she reportedly made incriminating statements to hospital staff members the day after her daughter's death. Wright attempted to have the hospital employees' testimony quashed, arguing that conversations with medical professionals are confidential. Carnes, however, ruled Fry's statements were spontaneous and not healthcare-related, allowing the testimony to be presented later in the trial.

Jury selection is expected to resume Wednesday morning at the Washington County Courthouse in Wakefield.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here