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Dead toddler’s mother to be criminally charged

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The mother of Koralynn Fister was informed yesterday she would be charged with a crime, following the court hearing for her former live-in boyfriend that led to his lengthy prison term in the death of the toddler.

James M. Reeder, 26, went before a Lewis County Superior Court judge yesterday morning where he was given a sentence of at least 37 and a half years and up to life for the rape, assault  and death of 2-year-old Koralynn last May at her Centralia home.

Becky Heupel was warned Reeder was an abuser and chose to put her relationship with him first, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said.

Meyer said Heupel wasn’t arrested, but informed she would be summonsed by mail to court to face a charge of second-degree criminal mistreatment. It’s a class C felony.

He, two of his deputy prosecutors and a law enforcement officer met with her after the 10:30 a.m. hearing, he said.

Meyer said the decision to charge Huepel wasn’t made until after Reeder pleaded guilty to the crimes in January.

Prosecutors wanted to make sure she was available as a witness in Reeder’s case, he said. Had she been charged and then called to testify against him, she could have invoked her fifth amendment right not to make statements that might incriminate her, according to Meyer.

The prosecutor said he also understands she is a grieving mother, and wanted to wait until she had a chance to make any statements yesterday at Reeder’s sentencing.

Prosecutors said yesterday Reeder moved into the household about 10 weeks before the child’s death, that the couple had not been together very long.

Meyer said she wasn’t warned Reeder was specifically a child abuser, but that they came to their conclusions after looking at all the evidence and talking with people.

“We believe she knew of the risk and chose to ignore it,” Meyer said this morning. “And obviously her inaction had tragic consequences.”

At the time of Koralynn’s highly publicized death, the state Department of Social and Health Services Children’s Administration issued a statement saying they had no record of history involving the child, nor any previous allegations of abuse or neglect against the mother, Heupel or her boyfriend.

However, Heupel’s 4-year-old daughter was taken out of the home as a protective measure, police said at the time.

Meyer said he doesn’t believe the Heupel has gotten the child back.

Koralynn’s father, David Fister, has described Heupel as always a loving mom, who would jump through hoops to do anything for her girls and never laid a finger on them.

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For background, read “Centralia man gets maximum prison term for sexual abuse, death of toddler” from Wednesday March 6, 2013 at 12:10 p.m., here [1]

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Kirotv.com posted raw video of a jail interview with James Reeder. Watch it here [2]