Mother of Kamarie Holland charged with murder in Columbus 5-year-old’s death
The mother of Kamarie Holland has been charged with murder in the 5-year-old’s death, Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said Tuesday night.
Taylor said investigators arrested Kristy Siple, also known as Kristy Hoskins, in Columbus, and she waived extradition to Alabama around 3:30 p.m.
She is being held in the Russell County jail on a charge of felony murder, the sheriff said. He declined to specify the underlying felonies for that charge, saying he would offer more details Wednesday during a 10 a.m. news conference.
Kamarie was reported missing Dec. 13 from her mother’s home on Bowman Street in Columbus. Her body was found that night in a vacant house on 15th Avenue in Phenix City, Taylor said.
Taylor said the girl had been sexually assaulted and asphyxiated.
According to a Columbus police report, an officer dispatched to Siple’s 1607 Bowman St. home met with her around 6:45 a.m. Dec. 13. Identifying the mother as Kristy Hoskins, the officer wrote that she reported Kamarie “slept with her in bed and woke her up” at 3 a.m.
When the mother awoke again at 6 a.m., Kamarie was gone, she told police: “Miss Hoskins stated that she searched the house, but could not find her, so she called police. Miss Hoskins then stated that she lives at the home alone, but gets visitation ... allowed by the father Corey Holland.”
According to Sheriff Taylor, investigators captured the first suspect in Kamarie’s homicide, Jeremy Tremaine Williams, that same night at Phenix City’s Bamboo Motel, 3104 Opelika Road. He is charged with capital murder.
Williams once lived in the house where Kamarie’s body was found, Taylor said.
During an initial hearing Dec. 14, Russell County Circuit Court Judge David Johnson appointed Phenix City attorney Chuck Floyd to advise Williams, 37, on his defense. At Floyd’s request, Johnson issued a gag order to quell pretrial publicity.
The order prohibits those involved in the case from disclosing details of the investigation.
Floyd since has been assigned to serve as Williams’ full-time attorney.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 6:33 PM.