Trial begins for a Scottsdale vegan who starved his kids

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Read the comments at the bottom of the story...........

 

Tue Jun 03, 2008 at 05:55:29 PM

 

 

 

By Ray Stern

Last year, Blair Parker saw his wife, Kimu, sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the slow starvation of the Scottsdale couple's three children. With his trial under way today, he's hoping to avoid the same tough penalty.

 

 

Blair Parker

The odds are against him. The facts in the case, as covered in a New Times article about Kimu Parker, are damning. The Parkers forced their home-schooled kids on a low-calorie Vegan diet for years and didn't reverse course even as the kids' bodies began wasting away.

The Parkers were arrested in April 2005 after one of their daughters, 3-year-old Zion, began having seizures and they called authorities, who were shocked at the girl's appearance. Zion weighed only 13 pounds and was suffering from extreme malnutrition.

 

 

Zion Parker

 

 

The Parkers apparently thought they were helping, not harming, their children. Trouble was, their ideas of nutrition were horribly skewed by a lack of expertise and overblown fears of obesity. They focused on health statistics showing that Americans are becoming increasingly fat, like the ones reported on this site, and took extreme measures in their own family.

As in the trial of Kimu Parker, the latest trial will deal strongly with issues of nutrition. During jury selection last week, potential jurors were asked questions about diet, such as:

 

Do you know the difference between a vegetarian and vegan diet? (A vegan diet precludes egg or dairy products.) Do you feel people are pursuing a healthy lifestyle if they do not include any meat or dairy in their diet? Do you believe it is possible to raise a healthy child on a vegetarian or vegan diet? Do you think matters related to nutrition and diet are generally simple or complex? Parker won't have much built-in sympathy from the jury finalists seated today. Only one is black, like the Parkers, and half are overweight. One thing in Parker's favor, though: As in Kimu's case, jury members won't hear about Lily, another Parker child on the same diet who died in 2001. No charges were brought against the Parkers in that death.

The couple split their trials to avoid the possibility that incriminating statements they made to police after their arrests would be used against the other.

Parker has managed to delay his own day in court for more than a year following his wife's trial and sentencing. After his court-appointed attorney, Jim Wilson, left the case after working on it for 22 months, Parker retained a private attorney, Jaime Hindmarch, who soon quit because Parker couldn't pay him.

The Parkers had another child, Isaiah, before Kimu's sentencing, and Blair has been taking care of the baby under the supervision of state Child Protective Services. The other three children, who have gained weight and become healthy since they were removed from their parents' home, remain with a vegetarian foster family.

Parker's new court-appointed attorney, Thomas Glow of the Maricopa County Legal Advocate's Office, argued that the 10 months he's been on the case is an inadequate amount of time to prepare a good defense. But with the passing of more than three years since the Parkers' arrests, county Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle refused to delay the case further.

In his opening statement today, Glow said the Parkers made "serious mistakes, but it doesn't make them criminals."

Still, it must be tough for Blair Parker to know another jury has already found that his wife's actions were criminal, and that his trial will be based on the same set of facts and the same testimony from expert witnesses. Worst of all, conviction means a minimum mandatory 10-year sentence on each of the three child-abuse counts. And the sentences, by law, must run consecutively.

A modicum of hope exists that Kimu Parker's 30-year sentence could be lessened.

 

 

Kimu Parker

Following Kimu's sentencing, Superior Court Judge Thomas O'Toole moved to get the sentence reduced, arguing it was "clearly excessive."

A motion filed in March by O'Toole appeals to the state Board of Executive Clemency to recommend a pardon or sentence reduction to Governor Janet Napolitano, who has the legal ability to mete out such mercy. O'Toole argues that Kimu Parker has taken parenting classes and has seen the error of her ways. After a recent evaluation, "CPS opined that she was a good, proper parent who would be able to raise healthy children," O'Toole wrote.

The Board has yet to hear her case. If it recommends a lesser sentence for Kimu Parker than 30 years, that would obviously bode well for Blair Parker, even if he gets convicted.

Blair Parker's trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Tags: blair parker, children, kimu parker, Scottsdale vegans, starvation, starve, vegan, Zion

Category: News

 

 

4 Comments:

 

 

 

AZ Mom says:

 

The photo of Blair is an inaccurate picture of the man. He is a clean-cut, well dressed young man and loving father. I'm horrified to find out about this case that I believe has been badly miscontrued and handled.

Blair is a fine man, who is polite, respectful and appears to be a loving father. I did not know about this case but had occasion to observe him with his children visiting his wife. Being thin and African American would not help them in front of a typical Anglo jury. I saw two very thin African children today and was surprised to find out how old they were -- they were bone thin and I believe an expert is needed since their heritage may preclude them to certain characteristics unlike Anglos. I believe both parents are well meaning but very naive and would never intentionally harm their children. I think this eating disorder, not unlike anorexia got out of control and they also may have had digestive problems that may run in their family. This family has suffered long enough and their children need to be returned and some common sense brought back into this case. What good is going to come to this family or society by destroying an entire family. I do

belief if they weren't African American they might not face this devastation. This is a family that needs help, not prison. When will Arizona begin to help families?

To all the other Vegans in Scottsdale and elsewhere, let this be a lesson and hopefully you are not African America.

Posted at: June 3, 2008 9:33 PM

 

 

 

Marie says:

 

To AZ Mom~ Thanks for posting here. It is nice to hear something from someone who is familiar with Blair and his family.

I just want to correct a few things that you stated. First, a vegan diet is NOT an eating disorder. A well balanced plant based diet is VERY healthy for all ages. When planned correctly, a vegan diet is by far much healthier for children than the so called Standard American Diet (SAD) which includes hormone and antibiotic laden meat and dairy products that are also high in fats. The key to a proper vegan diet of course is in proper planning and eating a healthy balance and variety of nutritious foods.

I have personally known several people who have children that have eaten well managed vegetarian and/or vegan diets their whole life and ALL of them have always been in very good to optimal health. Some have even made it through their grade school years with barely ever having a sniffle.

I just think that people need to realize that a vegan diet is in fact quite healthy but it seems that without proper firsthand knowledge, many people misunderstand it and/or have the wrong idea.

Blair and Kimu may very well have had the best of intentions, but I believe that it appears that they simply did not seek the correct nutritional information they needed for their children (and perhaps for their own well being also). Also, keep in mind that sadly, there are many meat eating parents who are uninformed and do not feed their children properly, but the headlines don't ever seem to read "Meat eating parents" charged with neglect/malnourishment/starvation...etc..of their children.

Anyway, I didn't mean to carry on, but I do hope that you may understand a bit more that a vegan diet is extremely healthy when balanced properly.Peace.

 

Posted at: June 4, 2008 12:10 AM

 

 

 

Daniel says:

 

I agree with Marie. When meat-eaters abuse or starve their children, we don't question a meat-eating diet. Neglect, or poor parenting, is just that, regardless of their dietary choices.In our society, with all of its meat-related illnesses and diseases, it's interesting that meat-eaters still caution people against vegetarian and vegan diets.I've been vegan for eight years and my doctor says I've never been healthier!

 

Posted at: June 4, 2008 4:54 AM

 

 

 

Phyllistine says:

 

The coverage of this case does have a very fine line to walk. I think what made the Parkers' veganism newsworthy is that they were attempting to make choices to keep their children healthy but, somewhat ironically (and tragically, of course), they simply didn't give their children enough food and didn't address their declining health. It's too bad that this can give the casual reader a surface impression that a vegan diet isn't per se nutritious for growing children, but there are more important issues to address here.

Posted at: June 4, 2008 8:12 AM

 

Peter vv

 

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[Guest guest]



I do think they are criminals. It is your duty to keep your children fit and well, and once they noticed that they weren't they should have sought some help. To have a three year old child weighing 13lbs is disgraceful.

 

Jo

 

 

-

Peter VV

Wednesday, June 04, 2008 5:48 PM

Re: Re: Trial begins for a Scottsdale vegan who starved his kids

 

 

 

 

 

Read the comments at the bottom of the story...........

 

Tue Jun 03, 2008 at 05:55:29 PM

 

 

 

By Ray Stern

Last year, Blair Parker saw his wife, Kimu, sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the slow starvation of the Scottsdale couple's three children. With his trial under way today, he's hoping to avoid the same tough penalty.

 

 

Blair Parker

The odds are against him. The facts in the case, as covered in a New Times article about Kimu Parker, are damning. The Parkers forced their home-schooled kids on a low-calorie Vegan diet for years and didn't reverse course even as the kids' bodies began wasting away.

The Parkers were arrested in April 2005 after one of their daughters, 3-year-old Zion, began having seizures and they called authorities, who were shocked at the girl's appearance. Zion weighed only 13 pounds and was suffering from extreme malnutrition.

 

 

Zion Parker

 

 

The Parkers apparently thought they were helping, not harming, their children. Trouble was, their ideas of nutrition were horribly skewed by a lack of expertise and overblown fears of obesity. They focused on health statistics showing that Americans are becoming increasingly fat, like the ones reported on this site, and took extreme measures in their own family.

As in the trial of Kimu Parker, the latest trial will deal strongly with issues of nutrition. During jury selection last week, potential jurors were asked questions about diet, such as:

 

Do you know the difference between a vegetarian and vegan diet? (A vegan diet precludes egg or dairy products.) Do you feel people are pursuing a healthy lifestyle if they do not include any meat or dairy in their diet? Do you believe it is possible to raise a healthy child on a vegetarian or vegan diet? Do you think matters related to nutrition and diet are generally simple or complex? Parker won't have much built-in sympathy from the jury finalists seated today. Only one is black, like the Parkers, and half are overweight. One thing in Parker's favor, though: As in Kimu's case, jury members won't hear about Lily, another Parker child on the same diet who died in 2001. No charges were brought against the Parkers in that death.

The couple split their trials to avoid the possibility that incriminating statements they made to police after their arrests would be used against the other.

Parker has managed to delay his own day in court for more than a year following his wife's trial and sentencing. After his court-appointed attorney, Jim Wilson, left the case after working on it for 22 months, Parker retained a private attorney, Jaime Hindmarch, who soon quit because Parker couldn't pay him.

The Parkers had another child, Isaiah, before Kimu's sentencing, and Blair has been taking care of the baby under the supervision of state Child Protective Services. The other three children, who have gained weight and become healthy since they were removed from their parents' home, remain with a vegetarian foster family.

Parker's new court-appointed attorney, Thomas Glow of the Maricopa County Legal Advocate's Office, argued that the 10 months he's been on the case is an inadequate amount of time to prepare a good defense. But with the passing of more than three years since the Parkers' arrests, county Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle refused to delay the case further.

In his opening statement today, Glow said the Parkers made "serious mistakes, but it doesn't make them criminals."

Still, it must be tough for Blair Parker to know another jury has already found that his wife's actions were criminal, and that his trial will be based on the same set of facts and the same testimony from expert witnesses. Worst of all, conviction means a minimum mandatory 10-year sentence on each of the three child-abuse counts. And the sentences, by law, must run consecutively.

A modicum of hope exists that Kimu Parker's 30-year sentence could be lessened.

 

 

Kimu Parker

Following Kimu's sentencing, Superior Court Judge Thomas O'Toole moved to get the sentence reduced, arguing it was "clearly excessive."

A motion filed in March by O'Toole appeals to the state Board of Executive Clemency to recommend a pardon or sentence reduction to Governor Janet Napolitano, who has the legal ability to mete out such mercy. O'Toole argues that Kimu Parker has taken parenting classes and has seen the error of her ways. After a recent evaluation, "CPS opined that she was a good, proper parent who would be able to raise healthy children," O'Toole wrote.

The Board has yet to hear her case. If it recommends a lesser sentence for Kimu Parker than 30 years, that would obviously bode well for Blair Parker, even if he gets convicted.

Blair Parker's trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Tags: blair parker, children, kimu parker, Scottsdale vegans, starvation, starve, vegan, Zion

Category: News

 

 

4 Comments:

 

 

 

AZ Mom says:

 

The photo of Blair is an inaccurate picture of the man. He is a clean-cut, well dressed young man and loving father. I'm horrified to find out about this case that I believe has been badly miscontrued and handled.

Blair is a fine man, who is polite, respectful and appears to be a loving father. I did not know about this case but had occasion to observe him with his children visiting his wife. Being thin and African American would not help them in front of a typical Anglo jury. I saw two very thin African children today and was surprised to find out how old they were -- they were bone thin and I believe an expert is needed since their heritage may preclude them to certain characteristics unlike Anglos. I believe both parents are well meaning but very naive and would never intentionally harm their children. I think this eating disorder, not unlike anorexia got out of control and they also may have had digestive problems that may run in their family. This family has suffered long enough and their children need to be returned and some common sense brought back into this case. What good is going to come to this family or society by destroying an entire family. I do belief if they weren't African American they might not face this devastation. This is a family that needs help, not prison. When will Arizona begin to help families?

To all the other Vegans in Scottsdale and elsewhere, let this be a lesson and hopefully you are not African America.

Posted at: June 3, 2008 9:33 PM

 

 

 

Marie says:

 

To AZ Mom~ Thanks for posting here. It is nice to hear something from someone who is familiar with Blair and his family.

I just want to correct a few things that you stated. First, a vegan diet is NOT an eating disorder. A well balanced plant based diet is VERY healthy for all ages. When planned correctly, a vegan diet is by far much healthier for children than the so called Standard American Diet (SAD) which includes hormone and antibiotic laden meat and dairy products that are also high in fats. The key to a proper vegan diet of course is in proper planning and eating a healthy balance and variety of nutritious foods.

I have personally known several people who have children that have eaten well managed vegetarian and/or vegan diets their whole life and ALL of them have always been in very good to optimal health. Some have even made it through their grade school years with barely ever having a sniffle.

I just think that people need to realize that a vegan diet is in fact quite healthy but it seems that without proper firsthand knowledge, many people misunderstand it and/or have the wrong idea.

Blair and Kimu may very well have had the best of intentions, but I believe that it appears that they simply did not seek the correct nutritional information they needed for their children (and perhaps for their own well being also). Also, keep in mind that sadly, there are many meat eating parents who are uninformed and do not feed their children properly, but the headlines don't ever seem to read "Meat eating parents" charged with neglect/malnourishment/starvation...etc..of their children.

Anyway, I didn't mean to carry on, but I do hope that you may understand a bit more that a vegan diet is extremely healthy when balanced properly.Peace.

 

Posted at: June 4, 2008 12:10 AM

 

 

 

Daniel says:

 

I agree with Marie. When meat-eaters abuse or starve their children, we don't question a meat-eating diet. Neglect, or poor parenting, is just that, regardless of their dietary choices.In our society, with all of its meat-related illnesses and diseases, it's interesting that meat-eaters still caution people against vegetarian and vegan diets.I've been vegan for eight years and my doctor says I've never been healthier!

 

Posted at: June 4, 2008 4:54 AM

 

 

 

Phyllistine says:

 

The coverage of this case does have a very fine line to walk. I think what made the Parkers' veganism newsworthy is that they were attempting to make choices to keep their children healthy but, somewhat ironically (and tragically, of course), they simply didn't give their children enough food and didn't address their declining health. It's too bad that this can give the casual reader a surface impression that a vegan diet isn't per se nutritious for growing children, but there are more important issues to address here.

Posted at: June 4, 2008 8:12 AM

 

Peter vv

 

Sent from Mail. A Smarter Email.