Parents of Boise 3-year-old who was stabbed to death object to suspect’s proposed name change
Published at
Katy Moeller, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman)– Bifituu Kadir and Recep Seran, the parents of a 3-year-old child who died a few days after a mass stabbing at a Boise apartment complex last June, don’t want to see the man charged in the violent crime be allowed to change his name before he’s tried in the case, according to court records.
Timmy Earl Kinner Jr. 31, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ruya Kadir and eight counts of felony aggravated battery in connection with the stabbing and slashing of eight others, is seeking to change his name to “Eternal Love.” He filed a petition for the name change in December and was granted a hearing set for next Tuesday, March 19.
But it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to participate in that hearing.
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Kinner is currently at a secure mental health facility at the state prison. On Feb. 8, about three weeks after 4th District Court Judge Nancy Baskin found him unfit to stand trial, he was transferred to the prison facility. He is receiving treatment to restore him to competency so that he may assist in his own defense.
On the form that asked why he wanted to change his name, Kinner wrote: “because this is my God given right & the title I want to be known as & remembered by.” In Idaho, name changes require a judge’s approval, and the state has strict laws about name changes meant to obscure association with crimes.
In their motion filed Tuesday, Kadir and Seran said that a name change could cause confusion for a jury, the court, legal counsel and others. They noted that it could be especially confusing for them — Kadir, a refugee originally from Ethiopia, and Seran, who is from Turkey — as they will need interpreters to participate in the proceedings.
Kinner has not raised any “meaningful reason” for seeking a name change, according to their motion. They asked for Kinner’s petition to be dismissed.
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As previously reported, Kadir has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the property owners and managers of the apartment where the incident took place, along with Kinner and the tenant who allegedly allowed Kinner to stay in her apartment.
The lawsuit filed by Kadir on Dec. 20 is seeking a jury trial for defendants Northwest Real Estate Capital Corporation, a Boise nonprofit that specializes in affordable housing and owns the Wylie Street Station apartment complex; Tamarack Property Management Co., which manages the complex; Muhiba Muhic, a Tamarack employee who supervises the apartments; Kinner, the suspect in the stabbing; and Jane Doe 1, a Congolese refugee who reportedly allowed Kinner to stay in her apartment for an extended period.
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The suit alleges that Tamarack and Northwest Real Estate “knew or should have known” that Kinner was on the property in spite of tenant-only restrictions, and that by allowing him to stay there, the companies failed to protect the 3-year-old.
This article was originally published in the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.