KINGMAN – A teenage Kingman girl is permanently injured from a history of abuse that claimed the life of her brother and landed both of her parents, and two other adults, in prison. The girl, now 14, blinded in one eye and emotionally scarred by violence within her home, is being raised by her mother’s brother and aunt.
The victim’s mother, Amber-Leah Valentine, 42, said nothing at her Feb. 20 sentencing hearing for two child abuse convictions achieved through plea agreement. She is the fourth adult to be sent to prison in the case, though no one was charged or prosecuted for the murder of her son Kenneth Jones, 16, whose body was discarded in Feb., 2023.
Prosecutor Amanda Claerhout has said the medical examiner ruled Jones’ death a homicide, but also determined that malnutrition may have been a contributing factor. She said extensive investigation failed to produce evidence sufficient to charge anyone with the teenager’s death.
“What really disturbs me about this case is no one will be held responsible for killing Kenny,” Judge Sipe said. “No one will be held responsible for killing a 16-year-old child.”
While four criminal cases are resolved by plea deals, Sipe suggested a better approach would have been trying all four defendants for murder and letting the jury sort out the truth in what’s been a finger pointing contest.
Defense attorney Jaimye Ashley blamed Valentine roommates Richard Pounds, 35, and Shioban Gujda, 40, for using an assortment of weapons and threats to beat and intimidate Valentine and her children. Ashley said a lifetime of abuse suffered by Valentine rendered her frozen in fear and incapable of helping herself or her kids.
Both Imes and Gujda, or their lawyers, heaped blame on Pounds at prior sentencing hearings.
“I’m scared to death of this man,” Gujda said of Pounds. “He tells me he is involved with the Hells Angels and mafia and can make me disappear.”
Judge Sipe noted that Valentine had ample opportunity over the course of a year or more to find a way to notify authorities of the abuse of her children. He told Valentine she failed her kids.
“I’ll accept that you were not the one who caused the injuries to your children, but you failed to protect them. You allowed this to happen and you are as responsible as the people that did this,” Sipe said. “I would take a bullet in the head as a parent before I would let my children be abused in this manner, and it’s incomprehensible the level of abuse that the children had to suffer in this case.”
Judge Sipe impose a seven-year prison term for Valentine. Pounds and Gujda are serving 8.75-year prison terms and Imes was sentenced to two years prison.
