James Maurice Reeder looks towards family in the gallery following a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court Friday. He was arrested late Thursday night in connection with the death of his girlfriend's 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Koralynn Fister.
The Centralia man arrested following the Thursday death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter is being held in the Lewis County Jail as investigators pursue evidence of murder and rape, according to documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
James Maurice Reeder, 25, initially reported that the girl drowned in a bathtub Thursday.
Prosecutors, however, submitted a probable cause statement Friday indicating the girl was “systematically tortured” by Reeder prior to her death.
Reeder made an initial appearance in Superior Court Friday. His family filled the entire back row of the courtroom, many in tears. He has not been charged with a crime.
An autopsy revealed that the toddler, identified as Koralynn Fister, went through prolonged physical as well as sexual abuse
before she died. Court documents state it is likely the toddler was raped multiple times on different occasions.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, paramedics responded to a 911 call of a drowned child on the 200 block of West Oakview Avenue.
Reeder told police he was home alone giving the child a bath when he briefly left the room and came back to find her facedown in the water.
The toddler’s mother, Becky Heupel, was not home at the time.
About six hours after the 911 call, Centralia police arrested Reeder. He could be charged with two counts of first-degree rape of a child, two counts of first-degree assault and murder, according to court documents.
Prosecutors requested that a hearing be held Tuesday at 4 p.m. to review the case, allowing investigators time to further investigate the death.
Judge Richard Brosey set bail for Reeder at $5 million.
Inconsistent statements
Reeder told police he began to give the child a bath shortly after the mother left the residence at about 12:30 p.m.
Almost three hours later, at about 3:15 p.m., Reeder pounded on his neighbors’ door, shouting for them to call 911, with the toddler’s limp body in his arms.
The child was wet, naked and already cold to the touch, the neighbors said.
Paramedics transported the child to the hospital and she was declared dead shortly after her arrival. Her body’s core temperature was measured at 85 degrees, well below the average body temperature of 98.6 degrees, according to court documents.
Signs of Long-Term Abuse
Centralia Detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald said Reeder’s quick arrest came from the contradictions in the story Reeder told police.
“His statements were inconsistent with the injuries on the child,” Fitzgerald said.
The manner of death was ruled a homicide by the Lewis County Coroner’s Office Friday afternoon. Drowning and blunt force head trauma were identified as the cause of death.
“In my legal career, this is the worst case of child abuse I’ve ever seen,” said Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer.
The court documents state that the girl suffered multiple injuries to her feet and hands, including a missing toenail and missing skin. She also had bruises and cuts in numerous places in her body.
The child was also missing “palm-sized pieces of skin” from her buttocks, according to court documents. It appears the child suffered the same type of injury in the past because she had similar injuries that were partially healed. The evidence led a pathologist to believe that the girl likely suffered two distinct events that caused a significant amount of bodily harm, according to the probable cause statement.
Children Crying
“We did hear children crying a lot, but children cry,” said Mary Stiltner, a neighbor who lives across the street from the house. She said the crying didn’t seem excessive or more than what would be considered normal for young children.
Mary and her husband Ray were the neighbors who Reeder told to call 911. While Mary was calling 911, Reeder set the body of the child on their front doorstep and attempted to do CPR on the child, Mary Stiltner said.
Both of them said the child was already limp and motionless.
“I don’t know why he came here and told us to call 911,” Mary said. “I don’t know why he didn’t call 911 from his house.”
Family Dynamics
Reeder told detectives he began dating the mother of the toddler about 10 weeks ago. It was at that point when he moved into the house with the toddler, the 4-year-old sibling of the child and the toddler’s mother.
About a month ago, Reeder suggested that the parenting duties be divided up, according to court documents. After that, when the mother would leave, Reeder would insist that the older child leave as well. Therefore, Reeder had a significant time alone with the child, according to court documents.
The other child is currently in the custody of Child Protective Services, Fitzgerald said.
The Children’s Administration in the Department of Social Services has no records involving Koralynn Fister or any previous allegations of child abuse or neglect against Heupel or Reeder, according to a statement released Friday.
“The Department of Social and Health Services notes this horrific child death as a reminder that citizens can and should report their suspicions of child abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult,” according to the statement.
Heupel has not been arrested and Fitzgerald said an arrest is not imminent.
“It is always a possibility,” Fitzgerald said. “We just don’t have the information at this point that she is culpable of anything.”
Bob Schroeter, who represents most defendants during their initial appearances in Lewis County Superior Court, said authorities shouldn’t assign guilt without first completing a thorough investigation.
“The state needs to do more investigations before they jumped to any conclusions,” Schroeter said during Reeder’s initial appearance Friday.
Reeder does not have any prior felony convictions, Schroeter said.
