Murderpedia

 

 

Juan Ignacio Blanco  

 

  MALE murderers

index by country

index by name   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

  FEMALE murderers

index by country

index by name   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

 

 
   

Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. To keep creating new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help the Murderpedia project stay alive. We have many
plans and enthusiasm to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really
need your help for this. Thank you very much in advance.

   

 

 

Bryan P. KIM

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Parricide
Number of victims: 2
Date of murder: December 5, 2006
Date of arrest: Next day
Date of birth: May 9, 1988
Victims profile: Richard and Teresa Kim (his parents)
Method of murder: Stabbing with knife / Ligature strangulation
Location: Spokane County, Washington, USA
Status: Sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole on February 21, 2008
 
 
 
 
 
 

photo gallery

 
 
 
 
 
 

warrant 01 - 3,62 Mb

warrant 02 - 4,52 Mb

 
 

warrant 03 - 6,33 Mb

summary - 2,71 Mb

 
 
 
 
 
 

Bryan Kim sentenced to life for murdering parents

KHQ-TV

Feb. 23, 2008

SPOKANE, Wash. - 19-year-old former Mount Spokane High School student Bryan Kim was sentenced to life in prison without possiblity of parole Thursday, for murdering his parents.

Kim was found guilty on two charges of Aggravated First-Degree Murder in the deaths of his parents Richard and Teresa Kim. Investigators say Richard Kim died as a result of stabbing, and Teresa Kim was strangled to death.

Detectives said that when they arrested Bryan, he had two debit cards, one belonging to himself, and another presumably belonging to his father. Right next to the cards was a deposit slip showing a $1,000 deposit into Bryan Kim's bank account the day after his father died. Bank records obtained through Jessica Kim, the Kim's daughter, show that $1,000 was taken out of Richard Kim's bank account on December 6th.

According to court documents, investigators also found that a gun was missing from the Kim's safe. A gun believed to have come from that safe was located in Bryan Kim's bedroom.

Another clue came from Bryan Kim's girlfriend, who said Kim told her that he and his parents had a fight the night before they died. The girlfriend said Kim said Richard and Teresa went out for a walk and never came back. That was after they told him that he needed to find another place to live after the first of the year.

After his arrest, Kim "showed no emotions of grief and never showed any emotion of grief during the execution of the warrant on his person", according to court documents. Detectives say Kim said unsolicited, "Go on with what you're gonna do. Book me. I'm gonna cry myself to sleep later. Let's get this going.".

Kim told jail personnel who booked him that he is bi-polar, suffers from depression and takes medication for both disorders.

 
 

Sister, girlfriend could testify against Bryan Kim

KXLY.com Staff

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

SPOKANE -- The north Spokane County teen suspected of killing his parents in their Mt. Spokane home may be prosecuted with the help of his sister and former girlfriend.

Bryan Kim faces his aggravated murder trial later this fall but the state has already published its list of witnesses. Among those that may be called to testify is Jessica Kim, the defendant's sister.

She is expected to testify her brother had an explosive temper and that her parents were asking him to move out of their home at the time of the killing.

Caitlin Ritchey, Bryan's former girlfriend, may also be called to testify.

During the investigation into the murders, Bryan Kim explained his parent's disappearance to her by saying they had taken a walk the night of their murders but had never returned.

Deputies found the bodies of Richard and Teresa Kim in their garage the next day.

 
 

911 calls from Mt. Spokane murders released

Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

Friday, May 04th, 2007

SPOKANE -- Newly released 9-1-1 recordings give disturbing new insights into the early December murders of a husband and wife in their Mt. Spokane home.

Richard and Terri Kim were killed in individual ambushes allegedly committed by their 18-year-old son Bryan as they came home from work the evening of December 5th. Bryan Kim faces two charges of 1st Degree Murder in the deaths of his parents.

When Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the Kim residence on December 6th while responding on a welfare call they found the killer had not finished the process of cleaning up the crime scene.

The less than four minutes of audio recordings released Friday show that a timely call to the 9-1-1 dispatch center cut short any plans the suspect had for concealing the killings or making his getaway.

That call came from Cal Buhl, a co-worker of Richard Kim’s, who couldn’t get reception for his cellphone from the Kim residence so he contacted authorities using his car’s OnStar system. He contacted authorities through OnStar letting them know that during his personal welfare check of the Kim residence he spotted blood inside the home and “blood coming out of the home.”

Because Buhl didn’t know the Kims’ address, the OnStar operator was able to locate his position at the Kim residence using the GPS tracker in his car.

While dispatchers were sending deputies to the scene and word spread through the community the Kims were missing they received another call from Jessica Kim, the couple’s daughter, who wanted to help deputies with their search not knowing it was already too late.

Her brother Bryan remains in custody. After waiving his rights to a speedy trial in late January he is now scheduled to go on trial for his parents’ murders in June.

 
 

Bryan Kim pleads not guilty in parents' murders

KXLY.com Staff

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007

SPOKANE -- Bryan Kim, the 18-year-old suspected of murdering his parents in their Mt. Spokane home in December, appeared in court Tuesday and pled not guilty on four separate charges related to the murders of Richard and Terri Kim.

Kim faces two charges of 1st Degree Murder in the deaths of his parents, who were killed on the evening of December 5th, 2006 on the property of their Mt. Spokane home.

He also faces a 2nd Degree Theft charge for allegedly stealing $1,000 from his parents’ bank account and a charge of possession of stolen property for having his dad’s bank card in his possession which he allegedly used to withdraw funds from his parents’ account.

Kim was taken into custody at Mount Spokane High School on December 6th after deputies did a welfare check at the family residence and found bodies of Richard and Terri Kim and evidence of their murders.

Court records show he had a history of violence including several run-ins with local law enforcement and had reportedly been given an ultimatum by his parents to move out.

In court Tuesday Kim also waived his right to speedy trial until June, which will give his defense attorney – John Stine – more time to prepare his case.

Kim had been scheduled to go to trial in March.

 
 

Bryan Kim formally charged in Mt Spokane deaths

Civil proceeding also underway

Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

Thursday, January 11th, 2007

SPOKANE -- The teen suspected of killing his parents on Mt Spokane made his first appearance in Superior Court Thursday. Richard and Terri Kim were murdered last month and Thursday afternoon their only son Bryan was formally charged in their deaths.

As the criminal matter moves forward, there is also a civil proceeding underway; one where Bryan Kim’s sister is now struggling to settle her parents’ estate and needs her brother’s help to do it.

Jessica Kim is expected to testify against her brother in trial, detailing his previous attacks on their parents and that the victim’s had told Bryan he would need to move out of the home by January 1, 2007.

Ordinarily, Bryan Kim would be barred from talking to the State’s witnesses, but Thursday his Defense Attorney won the right for the siblings to at least be able to visit about their parents’ financial affairs.

Also in court, Prosecutors asked the judge to maintain Kim’s $1 million bond, especially in light of the new charges against him. The court agreed and let the bond stand.

Kim will be arraigned and expected to enter a not guilty plea on January 23rd.

 
 

Prosecutors file new charges in Mount Spokane murders

Teen, if convicted, could face death penalty

KXLY.com Staff

Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

SPOKANE -- Prosecutors have charged Bryan Kim, the teen suspected of killing his parents in their Mount Spokane home in December, with two counts of 1st Degree Aggravated Murder.

The Spokane County Prosecutor's Office filed two 1st Degree Murder charges against Kim, 18, Wednesday afternoon for the murders of his parents, Richard and Terri Kim.

Prosecutors allege that Richard Kim was murdered inside his home around 5:30 p.m. on the night of December 5th. Kim was stabbed five times in the neck and arms near a closet in the entryway of the home.

Investigators determined that Terri Kim was murdered approximately two hours later in the garage, presumably as she was coming home from work. She received blunt force trauma to the head and then zip ties were placed around her neck and tightened, strangling her. Because one zip tie was not big enough to fit around her neck two of them were looped together.

If convicted on the aggravated murder charges, Kim could face either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

"When you charge first degree murder with aggravating circumstances there are two options that the state has as far as penalties," Deputy Prosecutor Jack Driscoll said Wednesday afternoon. "The first one carries a minimum of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The second one introduces the possibility of the death penalty."

Additionally, prosecutors have filed two additional charges Thursday. The first is a charge of 2nd Degree Theft for allegedly stealing $1,000 from his parents’ bank account. The second charge is for possession of stolen property for having his dad’s bank card in his possession which he allegedly used to withdraw funds from his parents’ account.

Detectives read Bryan Kim the new charges in the Spokane County Jail. After being held on a suicide watch following his arrest, Kim is now living in the general population of inmates.

He is expected to make his first appearance on the new charges in Spokane Superior Court next week.

 
 

Prosecutors may upgrade charges against teen murder suspect

Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

Tuesday, January 09th, 2007

SPOKANE -- Spokane prosecutors are expected on Wednesday to upgrade criminal charges against Bryan Kim, the 18-year-old high school student suspected of killing his parents back in December inside their Mount Spokane home.

Up until this point Bryan Kim was held on 2nd Degree Murder charges, however law enforcement sources familiar with the case have confirmed that Spokane prosecutors intend to file at least one 1st Degree Murder charge after detectives found several indications Bryan Kim allegedly planned the attack on his parents.

“It's much easier to charge 2nd Degree Murder, we did that in both instances, I would not be surprised if we end up going to the prosecutor's office and asking to upgrade that at some point in the future,” Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sergeant Dave Reagan said in an interview last December.

Prosecutors have not filed their amended information in Spokane Superior Court, however a look at the facts and the evidence processed at the crime scene appear to show that Bryan Kim allegedly pre-planned the murders of his parents. The evidence supporting an upgrade on at least one murder charge might include zip ties which were used in the murder of his mother Terri.

A search warrant shows detectives found a bag of zip ties in the Kims’ garage. However if Terri Kim was strangled with zip ties inside her home and if Bryan took the time to go out into the garage and get the ligature that could be premeditation.

Richard Kim, Bryan’s father, was stabbed to death; presumably Bryan could not have allegedly killed his parents simultaneously so prosecutors could argue at least the second murder was premeditated.

The difference between 1st and 2nd Degree Murder when it comes to sentencing is about 10 years more in prison per homicide.

The anticipated filing of at least one amended murder charge would clear the way for Bryan Kim's first appearance in Spokane County Superior Court which could happen within the week.

 
 

Deputies reponded to disturbance at Kim house in 2005

Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

Wednesday, December 20th, 2006

SPOKANE -- A new police report, released on Wednesday, had provided more insight into the bizarre relationship between Bryan Kim and his parents.

Kim is suspected of killing his mother and father in early December inside their Mt. Spokane home. He has a history of alleged domestic violence dating back to 2002.

An incident has now surfaced from 2005. It is a case of false imprisonment involving Bryan Kim, Teresa Kim and Spokane County sheriff’s deputies.

According to police reports, Bryan Kim held his mother captive on their back porch when he was caught lying about his grades in summer school. After being scolded by his mother, Kim allegedly locked her out of their house. The problem was the back porch is on the second story of their home, and Teresa Kim had no way of climbing down.

Thirty minutes into the lockout, Bryan Kim reportedly asked his mother, “are you going to be nicer to me?” When Teresa Kim said he was still in trouble, he replied, “well, you can stay out there longer.”

Teresa Kim stayed on the porch for another 90 minutes before Richard Kim, Bryan’s dad, called and ordered his son to open the door. Bryan told his dad that his mother “was an imbecile and could have gotten down at any time.”

By the time sheriff’s deputies had arrived, Bryan Kim was gone. The case was either not referred to prosecutors or the unlawful imprisonment charge was dropped by the Prosecutor’s Office.

 
 

Search warrants yield new clues in Mt. Spokane murders

Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

SPOKANE -- Search warrants filed in the Bryan Kim murder case detail what investigators have found so far as they piece together what happened the night of December 5th that ended with Richard and Terri Kim’s murders at their Mt. Spokane home.

Investigators spent four days at the Kims’ Mt. Spokane home looking for clues in their murders. According to court documents it appears that after 18-year-old Bryan Kim allegedly killed his parents he went to great lengths to try and prevent himself from being connected to the crimes. Search warrants executed at the home show Bryan was allegedly using a pair of Shop-Vacs to pick up blood from the killings.

Detectives recovered a bucket on the floor and several bottles of household chemicals that seems to show the teen was trying to eliminate any signs of the fatal stabbing. A Bobcat front-loader was used to move the victims’ bodies from the home.

Authorities working to piece together clues that would link Bryan to the crime scene and the murders of his parents have collected more than 130 pieces of evidence and searched him, his car, even his locker at Mt. Spokane High School. They also seized the lint trap from the dryer at the family’s home, suspect that Bryan may have washed the clothes he allegedly wore during the murders and a button off the garage door opener which had a bloody finger print on it that may belong to the murder suspect.

Bryan Kim, who has a history of depression and Bi-polar Disorder, remains in custody at the Spokane County Jail where he is under around-the-clock observation to insure he doesn’t injure himself.

 
 

Detectives: Richard Kim struggled, wife Terri strangled with zip ties

Melissa Luck / KXLY4 Executive Producer

Wednesday, December 13th, 2006

SPOKANE -- Detectives discussing last week’s murders of Richard and Terri Kim at their Mt. Spokane home Wednesday revealed that Richard may have put up a struggle before he died while his wife was strangled with plastic zip ties.

The new information was released during a media briefing Wednesday afternoon at the Public Safety Building in downtown Spokane.

The Kims’ son, 18-year-old Bryan Kim, is in custody at the Spokane County Jail and is charged with his parents’ murders. Sheriff's deputies believe Richard and Terri were ambushed when they arrived home from work a week ago Tuesday.

Detectives are still not sure when exactly they were killed, whether it was Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. They also spent four days searching the home and found several knives though they aren't sure which one - if any - is the one used to kill Richard Kim.

There is also evidence that shows Richard Kim was able to put up some amount of struggle while he was being attacked, though it is not known whether or not his wife had a chance against her attacker.

As the physical evidence adds up, the question of why this couple was murdered remains.

“I don't know that we'll ever know that answer,” Sergeant Jim Goodwin of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said. “I know a lot of people would like to know that but we don't always in these cases. Motive is not something we always end up having and being able to explain to people."

While detectives did reveal some information from their ongoing investigation they were cautious not to release too much so as to avoid impacting Bryan Kim’s right to a fair trial.

 
 

Teen murder suspect had access to handgun, ammunition

Jeff Humphrey / KXLY4 Reporter

Monday, December 11th, 2006

SPOKANE -- Bryan Kim, the 18-year-old suspect in the murders of his parents last week at their Mt. Spokane home, may have had access to a handgun and ammunition before or after he allegedly killed his parents.

Kim was arrested December 6th on two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of his parents Richard and Terri Kim, whose bodies were found in an outbuilding on the family’s property on Mt. Spokane last Wednesday.

Detectives processing the crime scene say when they searched Richard and Terri Kim’s master bedroom they found a safe that had been forced open with tools from the garage. Next to the safe they found the manufacturer's box that a Ruger .22 caliber target pistol came in but no sign of the weapon.

During their search of Bryan Kim’s room investigators found an unloaded .22 caliber pistol with two loaded magazines; authorities expressed relief that the day after he allegedly murdered his parents that Bryan did not take the pistol with him to Mt. Spokane High School.

“I can tell you there's been a history of assaultive behavior between him and his parents,” Sergeant Dave Reagan with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said. “We learned that from both our criminal records and speaking to his sister and other sources. It would appear Bryan has a temper.”

Because of that temper the Spokane County Jail is taking extra special precautions in housing Kim.

 
 

Autopsy shows victims were stabbed, strangled

KHQ.com

Dec 8, 2006

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane County Sheriff's Department says an autopsy has revealed the cause of death for double homicide victims Richard and Teresa Kim.  Officials say Richard Kim died of multiple stab wounds.  Teresa Kim was reportedly strangled.  The couples 18-year-old son Bryan P. Kim is facing two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths.  Their bloody bodies were found in the bucket of a small tractor in an outbuilding of their Mount Spokane-area home yesterday.

Court documents say Bryan Kim suffers from bipolar disorder and had just been told he would have to move out of the family home by January.

Richard Kim was a respiratory specialist at Apria Health Services. Teresa Kim was a math teacher at Rogers High School, which ended classes early Thursday to give students and staff time to grieve. Detectives told a judge that Bryan Kim has a history of prior arrests for assault, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment involving his parents.

According to court documents obtained by KHQ, police had been to Bryan Kim's home at least two times to resolve fights he had with his parents.

Court documents reveal the younger Kim injured his mother with a golf club in November 2002.  According to the police report, the boy tried to hit his father with the club, missed, and then threw the club at the wall.  It bounced off the wall and hit his mother in the head, "leaving a small lump", the report said.

The report said he then ran upstairs to his room and slammed the door several times and broke the doorframe.

After that incident, Kim was ordered to participate in a psychiatric program.  A judge also labeled him a "threat to community safety".

Before the golf club incident however, Kim had already been in trouble with police.  According to court documents, police were called to the Kim residence in July 2002 after Brian had holed himself up in the family's bathroom for more than four hours.

Teresa Kim called police for help in dealing with her son.  When police arrived, Bryan refused to open the door. Teresa gave the officers permission to break down the door, at which point Bryan fought with the officers and threatened them with a broomstick.  According to the documents, an officer sprayed pepper spray into Bryan's eyes and placed him in handcuffs.

Bryan's run-ins with the law paint one picture, but other teenagers who knew him at Mt. Spokane High School painted another.  Those who spoke to KHQ said they didn't believe Kim to be a violent person.  They called him "nice", and someone who liked to talk to people.

Bryan Kim also maintained a space on myspace.com, using the handle "Victor Vidonia".  On his site, he included his favorite music, pictures of friends - including someone he called his girlfriend - and wrote several entries on a blog.

 
 

Bail set at $1 Million in double homicide

KXLY.com Staff

Thursday, December 07th, 2006

SPOKANE -- Bryan Kim made his first appearance in Superior Court Thursday for the murders of his parents at their Mt. Spokane home and bail was set at a half-million dollars each on two counts of 2nd Degree Murder.

An autopsy completed Thursday showed that Bryan Kim’s father Richard died from multiple stab wounds while Richard’s wife Terri died from asphyxia due to ligature strangulation.

This new information comes on the heels of the revelation in court documents released Thursday that put into focus how the teen left his home Wednesday morning, picked up his girlfriend to take her to school, withdrew $1,000 from his dad’s bank account and attended school, all while his parents - who he is accused of murdering - were lying dead in the bucket of a Bobcat front-loader on the family’s property at Mt. Spokane.

The situation unfolded Wednesday morning as a co-worker of Bryan’s mom, Terri, called authorities concerned for her welfare since she hadn’t shown up for work at Rogers High School where she was a math teacher. Terri’s co-worker also reported that Richard Kim hadn’t shown up for work at Apria Health Services that morning either.

Three Spokane County Sheriff deputies headed to the Kim residence to conduct a welfare check and found several of Richard’s co-workers already at the home looking for him since he hadn’t shown up for work. A cellphone was found lying on the ground near the home with blood on it and tire tracks were found backed up to the front door that appeared to have been made by a Bobcat-type front-loader.

A detective contacted the Kims’ daughter, who doesn’t live at the home, and she confirmed that Bryan had Bi-Polar disorder and related to them that her parents had told Bryan, who had a history of extremely violent behavior toward his parents, to move out after the first of the year. She had last spoken to her parents on Tuesday.

The doors to the home were locked and cars belonging to Richard and Terri were still in their garage but, while looking into the front of the home one of the deputies noticed blood in the foyer and a bucket with a sponge in it. Making a forced entry into the home at that point the deputies found bloody clothing and shoes and blood in the foyer closet.

As they continued their search of the home the deputies found a safe in the master bedroom that had been forced open but could not locate either Richard or Terri Kim. Observing a nearby outbuilding the deputies entered the locked building and inside found a Bobcat front-loader and the remains of two deceased persons in the bucket of the Bobcat.

The victims had apparently died from homicidal violence, according to the affidavit of probable cause; later Thursday the autopsy confirmed Richard died from multiple stab wounds while his wife Terri was strangulated.

Deputies drove to Mt. Spokane High School where Bryan Kim attends school and found him there. School principal John Hook said that Kim had missed his morning classes at The Skill Center while Kim claimed that he’d had an argument with his parents the night before over his internet use but they had gone out for a walk and he hadn’t seen them since. In a separate meeting with Kim’s girlfriend she said Bryan had told him his parents had gone out for a walk the night before as well.

After deputies obtained search warrants for the Kim residence, Bryan’s car and school locker he was taken into custody and driven to the Public Safety Building, saying he understood "the procedure" and once downtown said it would be wise for him to "Lawyer up" after detectives advised him of his rights.

"Go on with what you’re gonna do," Kim said in an unsolicited statement to detectives as he was being placed under arrest for his parents’ murder. " Book me. I’m gonna cry myself to sleep later. Lets get this going."

Detectives commented Kim displayed no emotion of grief over his parents’ death while he was being placed under arrest.

 
 

Timeline:

December 6, 2006 Bodies of Kim's parents found
December 11, 2006 Murder weapons found in Kim's car
December 11, 2006 Memorial held for Richard and Teresa Kim
January 7, 2008 Bryan Kim murder trial begins
January 10, 2008 Opening statements made
January 29, 2008 Bryan Kim convicted on two counts of murder
February 21, 2008 Bryan Kim sentenced
 

 

 
 
 
 
home last updates contact