DeLAND, Fla. – A woman was “brutally” beaten to death by her live-in boyfriend, DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger said, adding the attack was loud enough that neighbors could hear it in detail, but the violence only ended after the woman’s abuser called 911 when she stopped breathing.
Kimber Iverson, 27, was found beaten unconscious in her apartment on Friday and died Monday, according to the DeLand Police Department.
“She was brutally beaten, very violent, she died a very violent death,” Umberger said.
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Police said Iverson was found in her apartment at 647 S. Woodland Blvd. around 8:23 p.m. Friday after Christopher Parker, 31, called 911 asking for medical assistance for his girlfriend because she was not breathing.
Umberger said the victim’s neighbors could hear the attack for about 30 to 45 minutes and never notified authorities.
Ultimately, Parker called 911. In the call released by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Parker said Iverson was turning blue and not breathing.
“Why is she not breathing?” the dispatcher asked Parker. “Did she take something?”
“She was drinking alcohol, that’s all, she was drinking alcohol,” Parker said, yelling. “She’s not breathing!”
The dispatcher counted along with Parker for about 5 minutes as he attempted CPR on Iverson several times.
“Baby, wake up,” Parker can be heard yelling repeatedly up until the moment first responders arrived at the apartment.
A neighbor of the victim’s told investigators she thought about calling 911 but chose not to. She instead went to the local neighborhood Wal-Mart to shop for dinner with her children and when she returned home, she saw Iverson on a stretcher being placed into an ambulance, according to the report.
Another witness described hearing a punching sound and what sounded like gasping for air, according to the report.
Umberger said some of the investigators were “very upset” based on the fact that the beating was loud enough to be heard by multiple residents in the complex but no one called for help in a situation “where seconds matter.”
“The fastest way to get police moving in a direction is 911," Umberger said. “It’s kind of basic, but let’s stress that.”
When officers arrived, they found Iverson unresponsive, suffering from life-threatening injuries. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition and placed on life support. Iverson died Monday, according to officials. Umberger said Iverson likely died of blunt-force trauma but the autopsy report is pending.
“Her injuries were very disturbing and were the result of a vicious attack," the chief said.
Investigators said the apartment showed signs of a struggle and attempts to clean up the scene.
Parker was arrested Friday on one count of grand theft and one count of aggravated battery. On Monday, Parker was charged with four counts of grand theft, according to jail records. Umberger said investigators are working with the state attorney’s office to file charges of first-degree murder.
Parker is being held in the Volusia County jail without bail.
Court records show Parker has been arrested nine times in the past two years for burglary, possession of marijuana and grand theft.
Parker and the victim had a history of domestic violence, Umberger said. The chief said the two have a child together who was not home at the time of the attack.
A neighbor told police Friday that Parker frequently beat Iverson, causing injuries to her head and face.
In April 2018, Parker was arrested for battery on Iverson. During that incident, DeLand police said they witnessed multiple bruises on the victim’s face, arms and throat. She told police they got into a fight and Parker choked her. The charges against Parker were later dropped, records show.
Umberger said it’s difficult to prosecute domestic violence cases if the victim is unwilling to testify.
There are victim advocates who will walk them through the entire court process, find counseling and support them but prosecutors “can’t force someone to do something against their will," according to the chief.
Umberger told reporters during a news conference on Tuesday that he wants anyone who finds themselves in an abusive relationship to know “you are not alone.”