Kimberly Rogers Inquest Alerts

Kimberly Rogers Inquest: 3rd day
October 17, 2002

On October 17, testimony was given by a toxicologist and by a pathologist. There were many technical details and scientific studies cited. The number of days from when Kimberly Rogers was last seen, until her body was found, as well as the extreme heat in her bedroom, would have affected the level of drugs found. In summary, the scientific experts cannot be at all certain about how much medication Kimberly Rogers took, or even which day she died.

• It’s possible she may have simply taken two or three times her prescribed dosage, rather than the 80 pills that has been mentioned previously.
  
  
• She could have died any date from the 6th to the 8th.
  
  
• Kimberly Rogers had stopped using any alcohol because of her pregnancy, and no liquor bottles were found in her apartment. (Despite this, government lawyers kept referring to levels of alcohol in her body, which probably came wholly from the natural processes which occur after death.)
  
  
• According to the scientific experts, the overdose could have been either accidental or intentional.

For the public interest groups, it is clear that whether it was accidental or not, Kimberly Rogers’ death happened due to the combination of factors which shaped her life, including her poverty and the harsh penalties imposed on her for attending university while on assistance.

At the end of the day, Terry Pyhtilla started his testimony. He is the father of her unborn child, and the person who found her body. Besides the heartbreaking details of that discovery, his evidence began to paint a picture of what Kimberly Rogers’ life was like in those last few months. She had been excited about her child, and began to eat better and be more active. However she was of course very upset about the charge of welfare fraud, and was stressed about what would happen when she went to court. After her conviction she told Terry that a deal had been worked out, and she pled guilty and received house arrest. She seemed very relieved that she did not have to go to jail. It appears quite obvious that she did not know that her welfare assistance would be cancelled.

Terry Pyhtilla’s testimony continues on Friday.

Nancy Vander Plaats, OSSN