The water killed Cassandra in 2002, said Allen Arieff, a professor at the University of California-San Francisco. By the time, medical personnel came to help her, "she was gone," he said.

"The treatment had no effect on the outcome," testified Arieff, who specializes in kidney diseases.

As it turns out, it wasn't the first time Jennete Killpack, now on trial with her husband for killing Cassandra, gave her 4-year-old adopted daughter water as punishment.

During an interview with police, Killpack admitted she gave Cassandra about 30 ounces of water after she sneaked some water the week before her daughter started therapy at the now-defunct Cascade Center for Family Growth.

The Killpacks had said they came up with that idea from Cascade. Jennete Killpack admitted to police, however, she came up with the punishment after reading it in a book about parenting children with reactive attachment disorder, which the Killpacks have said Cassandra suffered from. That method was verified by Cascade, she told police.

On June 9, 2002, Killpack forced Cassandra to drink water as punishment for sneaking some juice. Killpack and her husband, Richard, both of Springville, are charged in 4th District Court with second-degree felony child-abuse homicide.

During an interview with police, a Springville police detective told Jennete Killpack that three doctors and the Medical Examiner's Office said Cassandra's death differed with her version of what happened.

"I'm frustrated you won't believe me," she said. "I'm telling the truth."

Killpack also admitted to biting Cassandra on the eye and briefly tying her arms with rope, so the girl wouldn't hit her, while she was making her drink the water.

In his interview with police, Richard Killpack pinned the blame for Cassandra's death on Cascade and Primary Children's Medical Center, the second hospital to treat the girl before she died.

Richard Killpack told the detective his daughter died after suffering heat exhaustion during a therapy session three days before Cassandra's death. Cascade is "in a lot of trouble, and I'm [angry]," Killpack said.

The trial is scheduled to continue Friday when prosecutors are expected to call their last witnesses and defense attorneys are expected to call their first.

jhill@sltrib.com