Parents calling themselves, "Strict vegetarians" were convicted of child abuse after authorities found their three malnourished children.
It was April 23, 2005, when parents Kimu Marie Parker and Blair Lamont Parker called 911 after their daughter started having seizures.
They told hospital workers she was in distress, could not eat, was thirsty and had cold sweats. Doctors at Phoenix Children’s Hospital reported that the 3-year-old girl weighed just 12 pounds and was "extremely emaciated."
The other children ages 9 and 11 were also checked and admitted to the hospital for "severe malnutrition." They weighed 29 and 37 pounds.
The youngest child required a feeding tube, while her older siblings suffered through "re-feeding syndrome" as nutrition was re-introduced to their bodies.
Investigators learned that another child of the Parker's died in 2001 from the same symptoms as the 3-year-old.
The Parkers called themselves, "strict vegetarians." However, officers indicated that many "strict vegetarians" across the country raise healthy, normal sized children.
Blair Parker took nutrition classes and self-diagnosed his family. The children never saw a medical doctor and were never immunized.
Parker believed the children were suffering from malabsorption problems. However, the children later began to eat normally, gained weight and returned to average sizes.
Investigators also learned that the children were punished with the denial of food and were isolated from other children because their parents feared child protective services.
The Parkers were found guilty of child abuse, with Kimu Parker being sentenced to 30 years in prison. She is eligible for release in 2036.
Blair Parker was sentenced to 15 years in prison and is eligible for release in 2020.
