Mother of child-killing suspect to stand trial

Police: Woman helped son evade authorities

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Butler County woman faces trial on charges that she helped her son evade police in their investigation of the death of a 4-year-old boy.

Kristen Herold, 43, also faces accusations that she endangered the child before he bled to death after allegedly being raped by her son, who was the boyfriend of the child's mother.

Ms. Herold, 43, stared at the defense table, shaking her head in disagreement throughout much of her 40-minute preliminary hearing Thursday before District Judge Kevin O’Donnell of Butler Township. Ms. Herold was charged March 24 with hindering apprehension and endangering the welfare of a child as well as reckless endangerment.

There was testimony from just one witness, township police Detective Thomas Vensel. He said Ms. Herold told authorities that she had picked up Bentley Miller — the 4-year-old she referred to as her grandson even though they were not related — at the Days Inn in Butler on March 21 when, in truth, the pickup occurred at the Super 8 across four-lane Route 8.

The detective said she also told police she would “find [her son, Keith Jordan Lambing, 20] and have him come in” for questioning. But a day passed before police, acting on a tip, found Ms. Herold and Mr. Lambing in an abandoned house in Butler on March 22.

The detective also said Ms. Herold claimed she was taking the child to his father’s home when he became unresponsive, and she called 911. The officer said she had acknowledged that the boy was bleeding from the rectum when she initially saw him at the motel. The child died about 10:30 a.m. March 21 at Butler Memorial Hospital.

Court-appointed attorney Alexander H. Lindsay Jr. countered that his client was confused when she said Days Inn instead of Super