Politics & Government

Jury Finds Kimberly Fry Guilty of Daughter's Murder [Poll]

Kimberly Fry faces the possibility of life in prison after the second-degree murder conviction.

Kimberly Fry was convicted of second-degree murder Thursday, found guilty of strangling her 8-year-old daughter, Camden, in August 2009. She now faces the possibility of life in prison.

Fry had no visible reaction as the verdict was read, in sharp contrast to her emotional demeanor throughout the three-week-long trial. She looked straight ahead as the jury of six men and six women was polled, and exited quietly with defense attorneys Sarah Wright and John Lavoy soon after.

Prosecutor Stephen Regine said he respects the jury's verdict and feels that "justice was done for Camden."

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Wright and Lavoy declined comment when approached by reporters in the Washington County Courthouse parking lot; all 12 jurors likewise declined to speak to reporters. Timothy Fry, who attended the trial for closing arguments Wednesday and the verdict Thursday, requested privacy as he and his family deal with the emotions of the case, according to Deputy Attorney General Gerald Coyne.

"Our thoughts are with Camden and the Fry family," Coyne said. "This has been a very challenging and difficult ordeal. I cannot even imagine being in their shoes. They were thrust into a situation no one wants to be in. I commend the courage and fortitude they have shown."

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Coyne also praised the North Kingstown Police Department and Det. Sgt. Jeffrey St. Onge, who was the lead investigator in the case and assisted Regine in the prosecution.

"This was a very emotionally draining case for everyone involved," said North Kingstown Police Chief Thomas Mulligan. "The prosecution did an excellent job tying everything together. The jury came back with what I believe is the right decision."

The jury came to its decision after about five hours of deliberation, beginning Wednesday afternoon and continuing through Thursday morning. The jurors found the state proved Fry strangled her daughter in their North Kingstown home at 73 Ricci Lane in August 2009, reportedly while the young girl threw a temper tantrum over not wanting to take a bath. Fry then took a cocktail of prescription drugs in a failed attempt to commit suicide.

Timothy Fry found his daughter dead in her bed the next morning, tucked under the covers with a stuffed elephant placed in her arms. He called 911, the recording of which Regine played for the court while Tim Fry sobbed on the stand.

The defense, whicle acknowledging that Camden died at her mother's hands — said Kimberly Fry never intended to kill her daughter. Rather, she was performing a restraint technique designed to quell a tantrum, a claim backed up by former RI Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Laposata. Another pathologist, Dr. William Cox, who performed the original autopsy on Camden's body, found she died of manual strangulation.

The penalty for second-degree murder ranges from 10 years to life in the Adult Correctional Institutes in Cranston. Judge William Carnes indicated sentencing likely would not take place for up to six weeks. If she is sentenced to life in prison, Kimberly Fry would be elligible for parole in 2031.


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