Girl Drinks Fatal Amount of Water

Sept. 18 -- A Utah couple has been charged in the death of their 4-year-old daughter. The girl died after she was allegedly forced to drink large amounts of water as a punishment for sneaking sips of Kool-Aid.

Richard Killpack, 34, and Jennete Killpack, 26, of Springville, Utah, were charged with child abuse homicide and child abuse Monday.

Prosecutors say the Killpacks forced their adopted daughter, Cassandra, to drink glass after glass of water with her hands tied behind her back.

Brain Swelling

The excess water lowered the concentration of sodium in the child's blood, triggered brain swelling and caused her death, according to prosecutors.

The lawyer for the family says that the couple gave the child water because they were following the advice of a behavioral therapist who had recommended it as an unconventional technique to promote family bonding.

But the parents told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America that it had nothing to do with water therapy. "I'm not even sure what that is," Richard Killpack said. He says they only gave her 12 ounces of water, but prosecutors allege it was more.

"She had a pretty severe case of sneaking and lying, stealing, things like that," Killpack said. "One of the suggestions that they [therapists] made is if she sneaks certain things, that you should go ahead and give her that substance," he said.

Richard Killpack dialed 911 when Cassandra became sick after drinking the water on June 9. She died one day later.

Cassandra was adopted, and her parents say she had severe emotional problems. Richard Killpack allludes to the girl's emotional problems several times during the nearly five-minute emergency phone call.

Operator: Police Department.

Father: Hello.

Operator: Hello.

Father: Umm, I need someone out here right now for my little daughter.

Operator:OK, what's going on?

Father: She, she has a lot of emotional problems but to make a long story shot, she had one of her temper, temper tantrums today.

Operator: OK.