A Nevada father is facing charges after police said his daughter died in a scorching hot RV without power or running water while he, his girlfriend and their dog stayed at a hotel.
Authorities found Richard Carter Killam giving CPR to his daughter, 25-year-old Tammara Killam, on June 21 after they got a call about a medical emergency, the Mohave Valley Daily News reported. The RV was parked in a lot at the Tropicana Express Hotel in Laughlin.
It was 112 degrees outside and 108 in the RV, according to the Daily News. In an arrest report, officials said Tammara Killam's body temperature was 105 degrees.
She was in the RV with her twin sister, Brooke Killam. Both women were described as autistic.
Brooke Killam was "severely dehydrated" and could not comprehend her sister's death, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
In a police report, authorities said Brooke Killam told police the twins were left in the RV as punishment after they went through items that belonged to Roger Killam's girlfriend. As part of the punishment, the twins were fed only bread and water for a week, Brooke Killam said, according to the Sun.
Roger Killam told police the couple rented a hotel room without his daughters because they wanted “private time,” the Sun reported.
He told police both his daughters had phones and knew how to call 911, although Brooke Killam told officers their phones were out of minutes.
The RV they were in had no air conditioning or running water, according to the Daily News. Instead of a toilet, the twins had a 5-gallon bucket to use.
According to Clark County Medical Examiners Office, there were no outward signs that Tammara Killam had been abused, although it appeared she had not bathed for weeks.
Police arrested Roger Killam, 51, on June 23. He faces two counts of negligence of a vulnerable person and one count of second-degree murder, Clark County jail records show.
About the Author
