Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Father held in death of daughter left overnight in sweltering RV in Laughlin

The 25-year-old twin sisters were left to "fend for themselves” in a hot, parked RV with no air conditioning or water, while their father and his girlfriend stayed in a Laughlin hotel, with clean bedding, a shower and a hot meal, according to Metro Police.

Police found Tammara Killam, described as autistic, dead and her sister Brooke "severely dehydrated” about 10 a.m. June 21, police said.

Roger Carter Killam, 51, was arrested on two counts of negligence of a vulnerable person.

He was booked at the Clark County Detention Center, jail logs show.

Officers were called to the RV parking lot at the Tropicana Express Hotel, 2121 S. Casino Dr. When they arrived they found Tammara Killam’s body on the bathroom floor.

Also according to the report:

Brooke, who appears to have a “diminished mental capacity,” told officers that she and Tamarra Killam went to bed about 7 p.m. the previous evening. There was no air conditioning, but the RV's windows were open.

She said their father and his girlfriend left about 8 p.m. and returned to check on them about an hour later.

About 9 a.m., Brooke noticed that Tammara was “passed out.” Their father returned about 10:30 a.m. and unsuccessfully performed CPR.

The woman told police that she and her sister were punished for going through his girlfriend’s belongings and that their father only fed them bread and water for a week.

When questioned later in the investigation, the woman was not able to comprehend that her sister had died and did not repeat the statements about the alleged punishment.

The girlfriend told police that she, Roger Killam and their dog stayed the night at the Pioneer Hotel.

Roger Killam told police that he and his girlfriend wanted "private time" and that they only stayed one night, but records showed they were there two.

The girlfriend, who told police she was the sole provider of the Killams family, said they had lived in the RV for about a year and occasionally rented hotel rooms for showers. But that on this specific night, the room was only rented for herself and Roger Killam.

Killam told police his daughters had phones and knew how to dial 911. His daughter told police their phones had no minutes.

With the heat sweltering at 122 degrees outside, the interior of the RV was 108 degrees, according to an investigator with the Clark County Coroner's Office.

The woman’s body showed poor hygiene, with hands and feet that appeared to not have been washed for several weeks. Her bladder was “found to be completely empty.”

In an interview with police, Roger Killam “lashed out, asking if ‘this is a witch hunt,’” police said.

He lost custody of his surviving daughter, Brooke, who was taken to an Arizona hospital.

Killam was scheduled to appear in court on July 11.

Bail has not been set, jail logs show.

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