Kimberly Cargill and her history of abuse - Details explored

The 43-year-old resident of Whitehouse, Kimberly Cargill, was known for her fits of rage and disruptive behavior in her close circles. When she was going through her trial hearings for the murder of her 4-year-old's disabled babysitter, her family members testified against her thereby painting a clear picture in a case otherwise mostly based on circumstantial evidence.

On June 19, 2010, Cherry Walker's body was discovered on the side of Oscar Burkett Road - doused with lighter fuel and burnt by Kimberly Cargill. Cargill, who demonstrated traits of borderline personality disorder, was reported to be abusive towards her four sons, three ex-husbands, and her mother who all testified against her in her hearing.

The episode of Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? Season 7 Episode 34 showcases the murder of Cherry Walker in the hands of Kimberly Cargill as the synopsis reads,

"Recently divorced Brian Cargill thinks he's met the woman of his dreams; however, Kimberly Cargill is a master manipulator, and her abusive and violent nature tragically leads to murder."

The episode reairs on January 15, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery.

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Kimberly Cargill had a history of abuse before she was arrested for Cherry Walker's murder in June 2010

In June 2012, Kimberly Cargill was convicted of causing the asphyxiation of Cherry Walker owing to petechia in her eyes while the specific cause of death was left undetermined. However, Cargill's family spoke of her abusive nature leading to the prosecution pointing out the destructive tendencies in her.

Cargill's mother took the stand to mention how she had overheard Cargill wanting to kill her. While she had allegedly been choked earlier by Cargill, she mentioned that she wanted to see the best in her.

Kimberly Cargill's hearings had her youngest son's teacher Johna Booker speak about how she noticed "thumbprint-sized bruises" on Cargill's son's arms. Cargill's son often wore long sleeves even during summers and shied away from physical contact. Even though he was a good student, Cargill demanded Booker give him extra work even if he scored a 96 on an assignment, per KLTV report. Cargill's son appeared nervous and unhappy when living with his mother.

Kim Cargill had altered locks on her sons' doors so that she could lock them in according to her wish. She had also left one of her sons unattended and without medical attention for a day when he broke his leg.

Kim Cargill had allegedly assaulted her ex-boyfriend Matt's elderly step-grandmother, Barbara Chamberlain. Chamberlain testified to having her arm twisted by Cargill.

Kim Cargill's first husband Michael West described her anger to be "explosive and extreme" as she would "throw glasses, knives and anything in arms reach" at him in fits of rage. He recalled how she had purposely driven their car into the garage wall. He told the jury how Child Protective Services had to ask him to protect his son from Cargill's supervised visitations as the child would appear aggressive for days after her visits.

Michael West added how she had kicked his new wife, Sonja West, in the stomach and described his previous marriage as "one of survival." Meanwhile, Cargill's oldest son, David West, refused to consider Cargill his mother. He mentioned how he was scared of her to date because of the physical abuse he endured since childhood. A letter from David's childhood was presented to the jury which said how he felt like an alligator biting his neck when Kimberly choked him.

Kimberly Cargill's second husband Brian Cargill took the stand to describe how tumultuous their marriage had been. Cargill had allegedly thrown a hammer at him once which missed him and hit the wall. Kimberly had punched Brian in the face on Christmas.

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Kimberly Cargill was put on death row for the murder of Cherry Walker on June 7, 2012.