13-year-old girl weighed 35 lbs. at time of death report reveals, mother charged with first-degree murder

13-year-old girl weighed 35 lbs. at time of death report reveals, North Carolina mother charged with first-degree murder

13-year-old girl weighed 35 lbs. at time of death report reveals, North Carolina mother charged with first-degree murder

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A mother charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 13-year-old daughter appeared in court on Friday.

Kymberli Bowden, 45, was charged Thursday at the Guilford County Jail. The High Point Police Department said Bowden’s daughter was found dead at a home in High Point last October.

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CAUSE OF DEATH

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said they investigated and determined the manner of death to be homicide. Police said the autopsy report revealed the cause of death as acute necrotizing pneumonia and inanition in the setting of caregiver neglect.

BOWDEN'S FIRST APPEARANCE

Disturbing details around the case were revealed during Bowden’s first appearance on Friday.

High Point Police officers said in Oct. 2025, at the time of the call, they responded to the home in reference to a welfare check at the request of a family friend to check on the children. Officers said they discovered the child on her bed with no pulse, and she was visibly very skinny weighing 35 lbs. at the time of her death. The officers also noticed a feeding tube near the bed where the bag was empty and discolored.

MEDICAL EXAMINER'S REPORT DETAILS

The medical examiner said Bowden’s daughter was bedridden due to birth defects resulting from pediatric strokes related to her birth. They also said that Bowden was her daughter’s primary caretaker. They said she was wheelchair bound and had a feeding tube placement and that the prepackaged food near her had all expired in 2023.

The medical examiner further documented that family members saw Bowden’s daughter several months prior to her death and later requested to see her again but were not allowed. The medical examiner said Bowden made excuses whenever they asked to see her daughter.

It was further revealed in court that the state couldn’t file murder charges until recently as they were awaiting a medical examiner’s report. They also said postmortem blood testing showed a state of starvation and dehydration.

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Bowden was arrested Oct. 30 2025, and charged with two counts of felony child abuse and concealment of death. She was recently charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a violent offense hold. Bowden is in the Guilford County Jail and will appear again in court on Dec. 18. She’s also being held on a $1 million bond for other related charges.