A North Carolina mother is facing a first-degree murder charge nearly a year after her 13-year-old daughter was found dead inside their High Point home, as investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Kymberli Bowden, 45, was charged on October 8, 2026, while already being held at the Guilford County Jail. She had previously been arrested in October 2025 on two counts of felony child abuse and one count of concealing a death.
The case began on October 13, 2025, when High Point police officers responded to a welfare check at a residence on East Farris Avenue. Inside, they discovered the girl dead and a 13-year-old boy living in the home.
Authorities later determined that the girl’s death was a homicide. An autopsy identified the cause of death as acute necrotizing pneumonia and inanition in the setting of caregiver neglect. Inanition refers to severe exhaustion or weakness associated with a lack of adequate nourishment.
According to investigators, Bowden allegedly failed to provide her daughter with sufficient food and medical care, resulting in injuries and ultimately her death. The allegations are part of the criminal case against her.
Multiple Calls Raised Concerns Before the Discovery
The circumstances leading up to the discovery have drawn attention to several calls for service involving the residence during October 2025.
Police reportedly received six service calls connected to the home during the month the girl died. One earlier call involved a request for a welfare check after concerns arose because children at the residence had become unusually quiet. A woman subsequently contacted police to decline the check.
On October 13, a caseworker responsible for a medically fragile child also contacted dispatch after repeated difficulties arranging visits with the family. According to reports about the investigation, Bowden had repeatedly canceled appointments with child welfare personnel.
Officers initially went to the residence and knocked on the front door but received no response. After hearing no signs of activity inside, they left.
Hours later, a family friend contacted authorities after seeing what appeared to be an unresponsive child through a window.
Police and firefighters returned and forced their way into the home. That was when officers discovered the girl’s body.
Investigators also described troubling conditions inside the residence, including accumulated trash, rotting food and unsanitary surroundings.
Boy Also Found Living in the Home
The 13-year-old boy found inside the residence was also allegedly subjected to neglect.
According to allegations detailed in the investigation, he lacked access to adequate nutrition, appropriate clothing and sanitary living conditions. Authorities said the circumstances caused serious psychological injury and mental harm.
The boy’s discovery alongside his deceased sister added another dimension to the investigation, prompting concerns about the children’s living conditions and the warning signs reported before police entered the home.
Authorities have not publicly identified the girl, and information about the boy’s current living arrangements has not been established in the available reports.
Autopsy Findings Led to a Murder Charge
The medical examiner’s findings became a significant part of the investigation. The determination that the girl’s death was a homicide, along with the reported findings concerning pneumonia, inadequate nourishment and caregiver neglect, provided additional information about the circumstances of her death.
Bowden’s initial arrest in October 2025 followed the discovery at the home. The first charges included two counts of felony child abuse and one count of concealment of death.
The first-degree murder charge announced on October 8, 2026, represents a major development in the case, which remained under investigation after her initial arrest.
Bowden remains in the Guilford County Jail without bond, according to the latest reports.
The case has raised serious questions about whether earlier intervention could have changed the outcome for the children. However, the criminal allegations remain subject to the legal process, and Bowden is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
