Commonwealth v. Karista Bohren and Skip Bohren Couple Sentenced for Manslaughter in Death of Baby with Meth in Her System

Colin D. Stolle, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach, announced that Karista Hope Bohren was sentenced today by Circuit Court Judge James C. Lewis for charges of Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse/Neglect. Karista was sentenced to sixteen (16) years in prison with six (6) years suspended, leaving ten (10) to serve. She pled guilty to the charges on May 8, 2023.

On May 2, 2023, her husband, Skip Bohren, was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Steven C Frucci for Involuntary Manslaughter. Judge Frucci sentenced Skip to the maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison. Skip pled guilty on February 15, 2023.

Had this matter gone to trial, the Commonwealth’s evidence would have proven that on September 5, 2021, police responded to an apartment in the 5000 block of Stedwick Court in Virginia Beach to investigate the death of Karista’s 38-day-old infant, K.B. Karista and Skip Bohren are married. Karista became pregnant with K.B. by another man, but Skip accepted K.B. as his daughter at birth and helped Karista care for K.B. Both Skip and Karista used methamphetamine during Karista’s pregnancy and after the birth of K.B., and they took K.B. with them to pick up drugs. Karista also admitted using heroin after K.B.’s birth. She admitted to investigators that she had planned to get high as soon as she was released from the hospital with K.B.

K.B. was fussy in the days leading to her death and was crying more than normal on the night before her death. Skip and Karista brought K.B. to collect Lime scooters to recharge. They returned to the apartment around 3:00 a.m., and at some point, Skip laid K.B. in between Karista and himself on a mattress on the floor. Karista admitted knowing the dangers of sleeping with an infant in the same bed.

Karista woke up at 7:30 a.m. and screamed after she noticed a small amount of blood around K.B.’s mouth and K.B.’s arm in an upward position. A roommate called 911 while Skip attempted CPR, but K.B. was deceased. An autopsy listed the cause of death as Sudden Unexpected Infant Death associated with methamphetamine and amphetamine intoxication and unsafe sleep. Methamphetamine is metabolized to amphetamine.

When investigators asked Karista how she believed K.B. could have ingested methamphetamine, she suggested it could have happened from crumbs left in or on her shirt, inadvertently from breast milk that leaked, residue on her fingers, or even from her blood. She also said someone could have mistakenly used a water bottle she used to mix methamphetamine, or from methamphetamine Skip left on the table, in the bathroom, or on his clothes.

Karista Bohren has two prior convictions in 2021 for misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in Dare County Superior Court and Pasquotank County District Court, both in North Carolina. Karista also has a misdemeanor conviction for Providing Fictious Information to an Officer in Pasquotank County District Court.

Skip Bohren has prior convictions in 2010 for felony Breaking and Entering in Perquimans County Superior Court in North Carolina and in 2012 for felony Grand Larceny and misdemeanor Petit Larceny and Trespassing in Virginia Beach Circuit Court. Skip also has misdemeanor convictions in 2017 for four counts Larceny, one count Possession of Stolen Goods, two counts Breaking and Entering, and one count Assault on a Female in Pasquotank and Perquimans counties in North Carolina.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Joseph A. DiNonno and C. Andrew Rice prosecuted this case. Please contact Macie Allen if additional information is desired.