California Woman Admits to Kidnapping and Then Abandoning Slain Half-Sister's Children: DA
A California woman whose boyfriend allegedly killed her half-sister admitted Wednesday to abducting — but then abandoning — the slain woman’s three children, PEOPLE confirms.
Brittney Sue Humphrey has been charged with the kidnapping of Kimberly Harvill’s three children, ages 5, 3, and 2, last August. After kidnapping the children, she left them in a New Mexico motel, according the Los Angeles District Attorney Office.
Last August, Los Angeles officials asked for the public’s help in locating the children after a motorist came across the dead body of Harvill on the side of the road in Lebec, California. Harvill had died as a result of head trauma, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s news release states.
During their investigation, authorities learned that Harvill’s three children, Joslynn, 2, Brayden, 3, and Rylee, 5, were missing. The children were found unharmed more than a week later in a motel outside of Albuquerque.
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Shortly after the children were found, Humphrey, 22, and her boyfriend Joshua Robertson, 27, were arrested in Pueblo, Colorado, according to a statement from the DA’s office. Robertson was charged with murder in Harvill’s death. A third suspect, Alex Valdez, 29, was later arrested and also charged with murder.
The killing was premeditated, according to criminal complaint obtained by the Santa Calrita Valley Signal. It was not immediately clear what the motive was.
California officials say Harvill depended on panhandling to support her family, who moved from motel to motel. In 2015, the children’s father killed himself by lying in front of a train.
Robertson and Valdez are eligible for the death penalty for a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty.
Robertson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of an unrelated arson, as well as one count of possession of flammable material, according to the statement.
Robertson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for August while Valdez’s preliminary hearing is ongoing. Both Robertson and Valdez have pleaded not guilty. Information about Robertson, Valdez or Humphrey’s attorney was not immediately available.
The children will returned to California, where it will be decided whether they would be placed with relatives or not. Harvill is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7 and faces up to 26 years and four months in state prison. It is unclear at this time who her attorney is.
