Becky Heupel watches while her lawyer confers with the deputy prosecutor during her court hearing today.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Koralynn Fister’s mother pleaded guilty today to her role in the circumstances that led to the Centralia toddler’s death.
Becky M. Heupel’s short term live-in boyfriend James Reeder has been convicted of the abuse, sexual and otherwise, that led to the child dying last May, but Heupel today agreed to pay with prison time for not acting on clues something was amiss.
“Guilty,” she answered when asked by the judge.
And when Judge James Lawler concluded all his questioning and pronounced the 31-year-old guilty of criminal mistreatment in the second degree, she began to dab at her eyes with a tissue.
Heupel was free to leave after the 30 minute hearing in Lewis County Superior Court. Her sentencing won’t take place until next month.
Prosecutors haven’t suggested the mother of two participated in any way or witnessed the 25-year-old unemployed boyfriend harming the 2-year-old girl in the weeks before she died. In fact, Deputy Prosecutor Shane O’Rourke confirmed today there was no evidence she did.
If there was, she would have been facing the same kind of sentence as Reeder, O’Rourke said.
But when Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer charged the mother last month, Meyer said spoke of Heupel’s inaction.
Meyer said he believed Heupel put her relationship with her new boyfriend ahead of the well-being of her child, ignoring warnings from others he was abusive and ignoring injuries on Koralynn she said would have prompted her to call police if they were on someone else’s child.
Koralynn died on May 24 of head injuries and drowning; Reeder told police he found her face down in the bathtub when he stepped out to get a towel. Heupel and her 4-year-old daughter had left the house about two and half hours earlier.
Reeder had moved into the household only about 10 weeks earlier. Prosecutors have said he suggested parenting duties be divided up and as a result, he spent a significant time alone with the little one, changing her diapers and giving her baths.
Prosecutors indicated a lengthy list of injuries, some old and some new found on the child’s body, such as palm-sized pieces of skin missing from her buttocks, signs of penetration, bruising, a missing toenail and more.
Last May, after Reeder’s arrest, Prosecutor Meyer called it the worst case of child abuse and neglect he’d seen in his career.
Heupel’s attorney, Paul Strophy, said today his client did see some injuries, but not any that suggested to her sexual abuse was occurring. In the final weeks, Heupel didn’t see Koralynn’s private areas, he said, adding that he believed her.
He suggested Reeder was a predator.
“On the surface, in her presence, he appeared very attentive, a good father figure,” Strophy said.
He offered to take a more hands on approach, and she appreciated it, he said.
“Obviously she now feels like she didn’t do enough and didn’t see the signs” Strophy said. “Had she known or realized what was going on, she would have put a stop to it, or got help from law enforcement.”
O’Rourke today said Heupel saw the injuries, or should have. Anybody who’s a regular parent would have, he said.
“There has to be some recognition, the fact that when you’re a parent, you watch out for this,” O’Rourke said.
Attorneys on the two sides have agreed to recommend a so-called exceptionally high sentence, but only by one day. They will suggest to the judge she go to prison for a year and one day.
Today, when Judge Lawler queried Heupel, and asked if she realized he would still be free to impose the maximum penalty of five years, she faltered.
“No,” Heupel said.
Her response prompted a 10 minute recess, during which she and Strophy left the room to talk alone.
It was after their return, and Heupel agreeing with the judge she understood that he pronounced her guilty.
She admitted to second-degree criminal mistreatment – recklessly creating an imminent and substantial risk of death or great bodily harm by leaving her child in Reeder’s care.
She will be sentenced on May 16.
•••
For background, read “Koralynn Fister: Dead toddler’s mother pleads innocent to putting little one in harm’s way” from Friday March 22, 2013, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
AZ forgive me for being so blunt but I have to ask; are you slow or of diminished capacity? I read all about this case and they had so much physical AND circumstantial evidence not to mention whiteness in this case. He took a plea cuz he’s guilty. No one would plead guilty to such a crime if they were innocent. Also I kmow Reeder and he’s a violent POS and he’s More than capable of this. He’s right where he belongs and now so is Koralynn’s pathetic excuse for a mother. You should use your computer to do some research on the subject, before using it to make uninformed comments about issues that you clearly don’t even understand.
The only people who qualify for the death penalty are those who DON”T plead guilty or take an offered deal, and are found guilty by a jury…. The plea that Reeder got boils down to I didn’t do it but I don’t believe I’ll get a fair trial, it’s not even a real guilty plea with the evidence they had it’s insane the prosecutor accepted such a plea
@ FamilyOfBecky/ALLSUPPORT4BECKY (make sure you read my comment directly below this as well to get the full effect of what I want to communicate to you)…NOT THAT I HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF TO YOU BUT IM REAL TIRED OF YOUR UNINTELLIGENT RIDICULE, AND YOU LITERALLY TALKING OUT OF YOUR ASS WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING. SO I SAY AGAIN: You can say whatever you want about me, and make juvenile jokes about my name that hardly passed for funny when I was in middle school…. but, MY KIDS ARE ALIVE!!!! Alive and well.
The only person who has any relation to you that has a chance in life is Koralynn’s big sister because she got taken away from you all by force, and wont be exposed to your incompetent family’s lack of parenting skills, common sense, and complete and utter lackadaisical supervision! See, what I say about your family (unless I’m stating opinion) is FACT because IT’S IN THE COURT PAPERS WHICH ARE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE! I read what those cops saw at Becky’s house and what the coroner saw on Koralynn. That detective said; and I quote “The worst case of child neglect I have ever seen in my career”..end quote. It gets better…anyone who can put 2 and 2 together (that is simple grade school addition) would know that when he said that, he more than likely wasn’t even talking about Reeder abusing her (as they didn’t yet know the extent of her injuries), he was talking about Becky not taking care of Koralynn, and her house being a disgusting pig pen, that isn’t fit for children or even humans to live in. You can’t even say a word about me that would pass for truth because YOU DON’T READ ABOUT MY KIDS IN THE OBITUARIES OR ME IN THE SIRENS!!!!! IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DIDN”T WANT TO BE LEFT OPEN FOR PUBLIC MOCKERY, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE TAKEN BETTER CARE OF YOUR KIDS. There’s a thought… preventative measures now, instead of defense and fighting with the public over their opinions later. There’s the concept of the afore mentioned COMMON SENSE you lack.. along with many other important, necessary brain functions.
As an after thought isn’t Becky’s sentencing today??.. I (and every other mother I know) HOPE SHE GETS THE MAX AND LAYS AWAKE EVERY NIGHT IN PRISON THINKING ABOUT ALL THE WAYS SHE COULD HAVE SAVED HER DAUGHTERS LIFE.
Also I don’t care about yours or Becky’s lame excuses for the gross neglect Koralynn suffered, or twisted version of what happened. So this “real story” you keep talking about is as irrelevant as your idiotic comments.
@ALLSUPPORT4BECKY
You are quite OBVIOUSLY familyofbecky by another name (changing your screen name doesn’t fool anyone or make it look like others agree with you) You can’t read, you cant spell, your arguments are redundant AT BEST, and the fact that you keep making juvenile rephrases of my name shows your intelligence (spelled I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-C-E btw) level and mind set.
Let me help you out; I have kids, just not 3, and yes I am under 30. I’m not writing a book about your pathetic family’s 15 minutes of white trash fame (that’s my half sister that no one in my family speaks to) and I don’t care about your version of what happened. I’m not making any accusations whatsoever, the police did that…and as for slander, anything that I say that isn’t a recant of case facts or what’s been written in the paper is stated as an opinion and therefore can not be considered slander. You think we don’t have lives “up on here” because you most likely have to take the bus to the public library, and sign up for internet time in order to read the sirens and comment, BUT, most of us need only to open our lap tops, and connect to our WIFI to say our piece about the news on here. We haven’t heard from all your fellow supporters of Becky, because, either, there aren’t any OR their just aren’t enough computers in the trailer park to go around… And what with the massive ways to find a random dad to parent all those illegitimate children, how could you and your people find the time to get on here and support Becky and defend her infamous parenting approach.
The more you talk, the more uneducated you sound so GIVE IT A REST. Why don’t you start a website for supporters of Becky so we can all see the infinite band of bad mother’s (who aren’t in prison for neglect) who are on your side.
“She has one less ” AMAZING CHILD ” now.
And that’s a fact.”
What exactly makes a child “amazing”?
Most kids are just annoying.
Crazee, i believe you made your comment on an april 11, story …
Are you trying to make a point? Whats up?
WHY DID YOU NOT POST MY POST SHARYN? I POSTED IT JUST AFTER THE CURRENT LAST POST HERE.
I have been reading this story as well as the comments since the story came out. I find it very funny that there are only two people on here in support of Becky. And those two people are one in the same uneducated “wangster” trying to make it seem like Becky actually has anyone’s support! Becky and Reeder need there graves dug by the same shovel! I am completely on the side of Dominoe and Sunshinegirl. Their comment have hit the nail on the head every time!!! Becky is a worthless piece of sh*t just as bad as Reeder in my eyes! And in regards to Katie “Reeder” I know her personally! She is an amazing and very strong person!! She did everything she could to keep her child safe unlike Becky!! I am mother of three I personally find it hard to believe that Becky didn’t know that something was not right with her child!!! Because of Becky’s lack of Motherhood her child is now dead! She has to live with the fact that she is to be blamed for that!!! I hope she doesn’t sleep at night!!
A Real Mother <~~~ you lack intelligents you can tell that just by seeing that your name is ARealMother and as you further read on it tells ALL about you and who you are. You DOMIAHOOO and SUNSHINES out her a$$ should really think about what you are writing before you write it. You completely are the stupidest people on here. You have not a damn clue about what happen, what is going on, or anything. Is your life that miserable you got to sit around on the net and talk about Becky as if you know her and what happened. REALLY!!! Get a damn life! You don't know NOTHING. Your accusations and slanders are retarded. So why you got to talk all that sh*t up on here.
She has one less ” AMAZING CHILD ” now.
And that’s a fact.
ARealMother, I could not have put it better myself. These kind of people never see because they never look. They will always defend their way of life, just as we will always march off to work everyday so our tax’s can pay for for their way of life. The really sad part of this whole sorry saga is the truth , the only truth is a helpless little girl who should have been protected and adored and SAFE is dead because all her AMAZING, loving family simply did not notice. They can rally around their own now but its seems to me to to be too little and too late. Especially for your AMAZING children. Oh and by the way Beckys Family , This Bitch up in here hopes ya’ll and I do mean all the rest of you are barren as Hell.
FamikyOfBecky it’s always the same with the comments on here when trash defends trash; “you don’t know her/him” “don’t judge her/him” “you only know what the paper said” and on and on. You sound like a segment of Jerry Springer (which is I’m sure where you’d fit in) “ya’ll don’t know me” ” he is my baby daddy”. YYou are just proving all these people right “up on here” with how uneducated you sound.
We don’t need to know Becky, because we know she put her relationship with some guy she met on the internet (THE SAME INTERNET YOU NOW CRITICIZE OTHERS FOR BEING A PART OF) ahead of her children ( SHE ADMITTED THAT), and we know she ignored injuries on her child that she would have called CPS about if she had seen them on someone else’s child (SHE ADMITTED THAT ALSO), she let him completely take over parenting duties of her young daughter and didn’t even see her bottom because that was his job (YET ANOTHER ADMISSION OF HERS) and lastly it was due to her negligence that Koralynn died SHE PLED GUILTY AND IS GOING TO PRISON FOR THAT. So don’t insult all these people’s intelligence her because we know all we need to know about her. I have more concern and care for my cat than she does for her children.
Dominoe makes a good point; no matter what you say in attempt to insult her or anyone else, their kids are ALIVE.
Maybe you and your fellow supporters of Becky should name your group “Mother’s Who Parent the Casey Anthony Way”. Has a nice ring to it. The name Becky Heupel will soon join that rank if bad mother references right along with Miss Anthony so why fight it.
BTW family of Becky she HAD amazing children… one is dead due to her criminal negligence (just ask the courts) and the other got taken away by CPS. My mistake she must be a good mom… I think she actually might be up for a mother of the year award.
Well by all means if u know me please tell me who u are…but u won’t because ur too embarrassed by ur useless existence and ur disgusting family to say ur name.U clearly don’t know shit because I haven’t lived in that area or even that state for quite some time, and just because u and ur trailer park family sit on ur assess collecting welfare and disability doesn’t mean I do. I work full time and so does my man. Maybe if Becky had thought of the concept of work she wouldn’t have needed Reeder in her life. U can say whatever u want about me behind ur little screen name, but the fact remains; My kids are ALIVE. Most likely because I’m not trash and I don’t bounce from guy to guy, moving them in with me, in hopes they will support me and mine…I can do that myself. By all means support Becky, she will need it while she’s in prison for criminal negligence…or in layman’s terms; Being a bad mom.
@@@@@@ DOMINOE you have any idea how stupid and retarded you are??!! I know of who you are. And you sit on your a** day in and day out. Get off the computer and get a LIFE would do you some good. YOU DO NOT KNOW BECKY. So don’t act like you even know what happen or what the story is SO who is dumb up on this thing?? YOU ARE!! Get your facts straight before you run your mouth. WHAT you read the papers and the internet and all the sudden you know everything. NO ONE of you up on here knows BECKY. Its cool have your opinions up on here but don’t act like you KNOW what you are talking about. Just saying you all acting dumb and retarded as ever up here. Becky is a beautiful person with AMAZING CHILDREN. You don’t even know her or her children. You have no idea how amazing they are. You don’t know David, you don’t know Becky you don’t know the children. ALL YOU KNOW is INTERNET that’s it. GET REAL and GET A LIFE!! Papers and internet don’t have facts just as well as YOU ALL up on here don’t have the facts or the story. The REAL STORY will out! You just keep sitting there like a dumb a** on the computer fumbling on the keys in your little drama make up world fantasy LOL ridiculous ALL OF YOU!! Just calling you all out on your sh*t. You want to know something maybe you should ask Becky instead of hiding behind the computer. LOOK WHOS DUMB NOW!! Becky has all the SUPPORT and the PEOPLE SHE NEEDS that stand with her and for her nation wide. And the ones world wide who truly knows Becky knows the truth. So she don’t need your support. I am just calling you all out on your sh*t is all.
Bobby..a normal guy wouldn’t want to…u clearly did the right thing and I hope u dumped that girl. What an idiot she is. A normal guy doesn’t want to play with random naked babies in the bath and change their diapers… and a good mom would never let him.
Family of Becky do u have any idea how stupid u sound? Yes such a good mother that she ignored her daughter’s injuries, until she died, so she could keep Jimmy Reeder in her bed, while he raped and tortured her 2 year old to death. She left her baby alone with a guy she knew a few weeks and turned a blind eye to her serious bodily injuries. She was such a good mom she didn’t even see her babies destroyed private area because she didn’t look. I hope u don’t have any kids cuz of that’s ur idea of good parenting… they are fucking doomed. Ur not making her look good just urself look bad
A “loving caring mother?” Compared to who? Susan Smith? Diane Downs?
A few years ago i was dating a woman who had a four year old and after we had been going out for three weeks (maybe six dates) one day she asked me if I would go into the bathroom and dry off the four year old while she switched the laundry from washer to the dryer…………….stay calm everyone….I switched the laundry and she dried little junior off. Yikes what are people thinking. Luckily other people’s children are as safe with me as my own are but after 3 weeks? You notice I did not say she was my current wife…that was a dating situation that did not last.
Don’t you b*tches have a life to attened instead of commenting on Beckys LIFE!! YOU DONT KNOW HER. She is a loving caring mother and a whole lot more better than trash up on here talking sh*t GET A LIFE!!
Yes because a woman doesn’t deserve any time to herself or she’s a bad mother and just like Heupel. Millions of sperm and YOU were the fastest…. ur parents must be so proud. U clearly know as much about raising kids as u do about communicating with other human beings. FYI saying u have “nothing important to do” really doesn’t ram home ur goal of sounding better than everyone. I have nothing else to say to u.
No DOMINOE:
I’m here because I don’t have anything IMPORTANT to do, like raise kids.
So there ya go little Heupel wannabe. Neglect your kids so you can spout your bullshit hatred all you want!
The jails will take care of your kids or you eventually.
Parent of three, u clearly don’t want to hear anyone’s opinions about these stories (not just those of certain loonies who can’t ever stick to the subject) but I on the other hand like to hear what others think (save for the nonsensical ranters), whether I agree or not. Yes God should do the judging, but most of us here feel the “justice system” has not played their part in this (and many other) scenario(s). This girl should be spayed so she can’t ruin any more innocent babies lives. Some people shouldn’t be parents and she is a prime example. Yes in America we have rights, but I don’t think people should be allowed to have children if their kids will be more intelligent than they are by the age of 2. Common sense and motherly instinct should have told this girl her baby was in danger and in pain. Neither kicked in and saved Koralynn’s life. She won’t protect Kora’s sister or any other kids she might have (god forbid) just like she didn’t protect Kora. I pray God will take away her ability of having kids…but if he doesn’t…. someone should step in and do it for him. He’s a might busy These days.
Here we go again OLJ. I swear ur obsessed, and just sit and stare at ur monitor and wait for me to comment, so u can start one of ur famous little juvenile posting wars…Get over me u stalker. I have no desire to have any back and forth banter with u and I will not engage.
“That’s what this comment section of the articles are here for: opinions. Don’t like it? Don’t read them. No one is forcing u to scroll down.”
If that’s the case, then stop reading my posts. You don’t like anything I have to say and all you can do is attack me and call me names. Don’t like what I have to say? Don’t read it.
@ parent of three. That’s what this comment section of the articles are here for: opinions. Don’t like it? Don’t read them. No one is forcing u to scroll down.
I wish people would let god do the judging …I agree someone needs to be punished but WHO needs everyone else’s opinions to do that !
Stafford Creek is a minimum security prison, how the hell did Reeder get sent there? Thats bullshit!
I agree with steralization but come on 1yr, I can do that standing on my head!
Perfect solution free air… my thoughts exactly
Death is the easy way out! I’m all for torture! The ma knew, she just wants to put all the blame on Reeder cuz what’s he got to lose?
ROT IN HELL TO THE BOTH OF YOU, AND ANYONE WHO SEEN SOMETHING AND DIDN’T DO SHIT TO HELP THAT POOR LITTLE GIRL!
What she needs, is one year during which time she undergoes county funded sterilization.
Not everyone should be a parent.
No child should be a sex toy until dead.
I hope the Judge gives her 5yrs and doesn’t go along with the 1yr and a day plea bargain.
Dominoe, I agree she should never have any child in her custody. I met a women last year who inquired of me how to get on with my company, I’m a HCA . The first thing I told her was about the FCA’s she’d need. Then I had a thought I asked her if she could pass a criminal check, and only certain things would exclude her employment even if she had a criminal record. She had lost custody of her kids ,I caught that and asked her why and she said she really did not know why but the judge had said some shit about not protecting them . She asked me what would exclude her from employment in my company and I told her Abuse of any person considered vulnerable. She never inquired again. I think she knew Damn well how and why the kids were taken , she was tryin for another kid. You have no idea how badly I wanted to tell the guy RUN do not walk to the nearest exit!! I never did , but I will say it now fellas do not get involved with a woman who lost her kids and for CHRIST sakes do not have a child with her. This case is a perfect example on what could happen to your child . If they can’t hold on to their kids there is a reason for that and you DO NOT want to find out the hard way what Koralyns poor father had to endure. Most of us can not imagine that Monsters are real and we tell our children that. Not me paranoia is my middle name and I always knew what lurks in the dark. My kids were taught to be vigilent as was I. The Boogyman is very real. Just ask Koralynn.
Every partner a woman or man brings into a child’s life (when I say that I mean alone time and/or in the home to live) increases that child’s chances of being abused in some way by 5%. Isn’t that scary? So to the single parents out there: If u need to get some do it somewhere ur child doesn’t reside. If ur starting a relationship with someone, for the sake of ur baby, take ur time and find out who the person u are dating is before u let them around ur child….and for God’s sake DON’T EVER LEAVE UR BABY ALONE WITH SOMEONE U DON’T KNOW VERY VERY VERY WELL!! Some guy isn’t going to volunteer to bathe and change a child he doesn’t have any attachment to for a normal, sane reason! Hello….RED FLAG u twit!
Every time I read this I get sick. How could u be so willfully ignorant as to convince urself ur baby was ok, and so stupid and neglectful as to never look at her?! The cold hard facts are she didn’t give a shit because she wanted to play house and have a father figure for her kids. Well I just bet poor dead Koralynn and her lonely, forever traumatized big sister appreciate the man u brought in their lives. She should never be allowed around Any child ever again… and not being allowed to raise her other one or any she may have in the future goes without saying. I wish we had laws like that. Prison won’t teach her anything. She will find a group of loser moms who will coddle her and tell her it wasn’t her fault.. IT WAS HER FAULT 100%!
Washington state does have the death penalty. Although given that no less a predator than Gary Ridgeway got a multi-life sentence for his two decade long killing spree, I’m not sure who would qualify for that sentence.
James Reeder is currently beginning his sentence at Stafford Creek Prison by Aberdeen. I think he’s there by design. I suspect most people serving time there are in for decade or less sentences. Officials probably reason Reeder would be safer there. Figuring a person who’s do to get out in a few years isn’t going to jepordize their release date by assaulting a child rapist/killer.
That probably wouldn’t be the case some where like Walla Walla. Given several inmates there are doing life sentences
already and would have nothing to lose.
It is naive to believe that bio fathers do not do such things. Mothers must always be watchful. If there is a next life, hopefully this little girl will get a better mother.
It’s naive to believe that bio fathers don’t do such things. Mothers must always be watchful. If there is a next life, hopefully this little girl gets a better mother.
As a YOUNG mother of two I would NEVER allow my 1 or 2 year old to be taken care of by anyone other than myself or their biological father! I would not allow another male to change my childs diaper or be a “parent” to them. They have a father for that! Seriously what the F is wrong with mothers these days? Introducing your child to a partner is 1 thing but noving them in and allowing them to play daddy is another. I hope moms in LC learn from this. That sweet baby girl did not deserve the NEGLECT her mother put her threw. That baby had to of shown fear of this monster but of course her mother wouldn’t have see it because chances are that baby knew her mother neglected her & wasn’t protecting her. So sick & sad. Becky deserves the same punishment as Reeder!
If this animal only gets one year and one day I will vote very differently next election time that is for sure , and I will forever more refer to Lawler as NO BALLS LAWLER !!!
well I believe the Mother should be getting MORE….She knew it was going on…Any Mother to not see her own child being abused….Lack of something….Koralynn is the one that got left out, and where was her Dad? Where was the Ones that cared for her….Not there and didn’t speak up…
This is so disgusting. I wish washington state had the death penalty. Reeder deserves far worse than the punishment he is receiving .