REMEMBERING KORALYNN

Koralynn Marie Fister was a bright two year old little girl known to her family as “Kora” and “Monkey.”

She was born on March 9, 2010, in Centralia, Washington, to David Fister and Becky Heupel.

Koralynn had big blue eyes and a smile her family described as infectious. Her nickname “Monkey” came after she learned to walk because she loved climbing and bouncing around with her older sister, Allee.

Koralynn and her sister shared the ordinary adventures of two little girls growing up together.

Her father remembered how happy Koralynn was to see him during what would become their final visit. They spent the evening doing something wonderfully normal: watching cartoons together and eating Spaghetti-O’s for dinner.

David did not know it would be the last time he would see his daughter alive.

After Koralynn died, he described her simply and powerfully: Kora was everything to him and his family.

KORALYNN’S STORY

Koralynn’s parents separated around the time she turned two.

David and Becky initially had an informal arrangement that allowed David to have Koralynn on Wednesdays and Thursdays. After the separation, however, David said it became increasingly difficult for him to see his daughter.

Becky had begun a relationship with James Maurice Reeder.

Reeder moved into the Centralia home with Becky, Koralynn and Koralynn’s older sister approximately ten weeks before Koralynn died.

During those weeks, Koralynn was subjected to escalating physical and sexual abuse.

Investigators later determined that the abuse was not an isolated incident. It had occurred repeatedly over time.

Prosecutors said Reeder deliberately arranged opportunities to be alone with Koralynn. About a month before her death, he suggested dividing responsibility for the two children. When Becky left the home, Reeder would have the older child accompany her, leaving him alone with Koralynn.

David had become concerned when Becky stopped allowing his regular visits with Koralynn.

In mid April, he went to the home and insisted on seeing his daughter.

He was eventually allowed to take Koralynn overnight.

She was extremely happy to see him.

That was the last time David saw his daughter alive.

On May 24, 2012, Becky and Koralynn’s older sister left the home, leaving two year old Koralynn alone with Reeder.

Reeder later claimed he had been bathing Koralynn and stepped away to get a towel. He said that when he returned, he found her face down in the bathtub.

He carried Koralynn across the street to neighbors and asked for help.

Emergency responders were called.

Koralynn was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

What initially appeared to be a drowning quickly became a homicide investigation.

Koralynn had numerous injuries across her body.

Investigators found evidence of prolonged physical and sexual abuse. Some of her injuries were severe and clearly inconsistent with an accidental bathtub drowning.

The Lewis County Coroner determined that Koralynn died from drowning and blunt force trauma to her head.

Her death was ruled a homicide.

She was two years old.

WARNING SIGNS

The abuse Koralynn endured did not occur entirely without visible warning signs.

Prosecutors later said Becky had seen injuries on her daughter before Koralynn died but failed to obtain medical treatment or otherwise protect her.

Investigators also learned that people had warned Becky about Reeder.

Prosecutors concluded that she knew there was a danger and recklessly disregarded it by continuing to leave Koralynn in his care.

Becky maintained that she trusted Reeder and did not understand what he was doing to her daughter. Detectives acknowledged that Reeder had manipulated and intimidated her.

But prosecutors determined that the injuries Becky had seen on Koralynn were serious enough that she should have recognized her daughter needed help.

Koralynn’s father was also becoming increasingly separated from his daughter during this period.

David said his regular visits suddenly stopped and that Becky told him Koralynn was sick.

When he finally insisted upon seeing her in April, Koralynn was extremely happy to leave with him.

He returned her after their visit.

He never saw her alive again.

There is not enough reliable evidence to characterize Koralynn’s case as a documented child protection system failure before her death.

The warning signs within her home, however, were significant.

Koralynn was two years old.

She could not remove herself from danger.

She needed an adult to recognize what was happening and protect her before the abuse became fatal.

JUSTICE FOR KORALYNN

James Reeder was arrested shortly after Koralynn’s death.

He was ultimately charged with homicide by abuse, two counts of first degree rape of a child, two assault charges and possession of methamphetamine.

In January 2013, Reeder entered an Alford plea. Under that plea, he did not admit committing the crimes but acknowledged that prosecutors possessed sufficient evidence that he would likely be convicted at trial.

He pleaded guilty to homicide by abuse, two counts of first degree rape of a child, second degree assault and possession of methamphetamine.

In March 2013, Reeder received the maximum minimum sentence available under the plea agreement.

Becky Heupel was subsequently charged with second degree criminal mistreatment for failing to protect Koralynn.

Prosecutors alleged that she had seen injuries on Koralynn, had been warned about Reeder and nevertheless continued placing her daughter in his care.

Becky pleaded guilty.

She was sentenced in May 2013.

James Maurice Reeder

Relationship to Koralynn: Mother’s Boyfriend

Conviction(s): Homicide by abuse; two counts of first degree rape of a child; second degree assault; possession of methamphetamine

Sentence: Minimum of 37½ years to life in prison

Becky Heupel

Relationship to Koralynn: Mother

Conviction(s): Second degree criminal mistreatment

Sentence: One year and one day in prison

FOREVER REMEMBERED

More than 200 people gathered at a candlelight vigil in Centralia after Koralynn died.

They came together for a little girl many of them had never met.

But the people who loved Koralynn did not need a criminal investigation to tell them who she was.

They knew Kora.

They knew the little girl with big blue eyes and the infectious smile.

They knew “Monkey,” the toddler who loved climbing and bouncing with her big sister.

Her father remembered an ordinary evening of cartoons and Spaghetti-O’s.

At the time, there was no reason for that evening to seem extraordinary.

That is what makes the memory so precious now.

Koralynn should have had thousands more evenings just like it.

She should have grown up beside her sister.

She should have climbed things she was not supposed to climb, watched countless cartoons, developed favorite foods beyond the ones she loved as a toddler and become someone her family could only begin to imagine when she was two.

Instead, her life ended only ten weeks after James Reeder entered her home.

The details of what happened during those weeks are devastating, but they are not the sum of Koralynn’s life.

Before there were investigators, courtrooms and prison sentences, there was Kora.

A little girl whose smile could capture the people around her.

A daughter her father described as everything to him.

A little sister.

A beloved “Monkey” who should have been given the chance to grow up.

Abuse Angels remembers Koralynn Marie Fister.

Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.