Investigation Discovery’s series, ‘Fatal Vows: You Only Die Once,’ shines a spotlight on the mystery of Frank Parker’s murder in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Arguments had formed into deadlocks among investigators until a pivotal tip brought them closer to unraveling the case. 

Who was responsible for this gruesome crime and what are they doing now? This series will thrill detective fans with its suspenseful recounting of how justice was eventually served for Frank Parker’s murder nearly two decades ago.

Tune in to uncover the details and be taken on an exciting journey back through time to figure out the puzzle piece by piece.

How did Frank Parker die?

Frank Jay Parker was born in Maryland on February 25, 1961, to Elizabeth and the late Russell Parker. He was a hardworking electrician who relocated to Florida in search of a better life. His girlfriend, Kathy Witmer, described him as having a wide smile that lit up his eyes. 

While his colleague, Michael Sarkey, characterized him as an introverted yet energetic person who was also a competent worker.

In a Florida Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting, Frank met Kimberly “Kim” Baldwin while accompanying one of his siblings. 

Although Kim was outgoing, Frank mustered the courage to ask her out, and they dated for several years before getting married on September 25, 1991. Kim had a son from a previous relationship, Grahm, and the couple welcomed a daughter, Katie. However, their marriage fell apart, resulting in a contentious divorce.

On February 16, 2002, Frank dropped off Grahm and Katie at a children’s home in Valparaiso, Indiana, for Kim’s supervised visitation. 

But when Frank failed to return after the allotted time, the home’s authorities contacted Kathy, his emergency contact. Worried about Frank, Kathy tried calling him several times before visiting his home, where she discovered his lifeless body lying face down in the living room.

When the authorities arrived, they were appalled by the viciousness of the crime. Frank had been shot in the head with a sawed-off shotgun, and there were multiple puncture wounds on his back. 

The police also found a bloody brick beside his head, indicating that the perpetrator used it to bludgeon him. The excessive brutality of the murder suggested a personal motive, and the lack of forced entry into the house suggested that the killer was someone familiar with Frank’s habit of leaving his backdoor unlocked.

Who killed Frank Parker?

During the investigation, the officers interviewed Kathy, Frank’s grieving girlfriend, who revealed that she believed Kim, Frank’s ex-wife, was the main suspect in his murder. 

Kathy explained to the investigators that Kim had a history of being manipulative and jealous with a controlling personality. The show revealed that Kim had a tragic past, including a broken family, drug abuse, and a drinking problem.

When she was 16, she had a child with her former partner, but she left the child with his father’s family because she felt she couldn’t raise him alone. 

At 19, Kim moved to Florida to start over, where she met Frank at an AA meeting. Although they were an unlikely couple, they began dating and eventually got married.

However, Kim’s controlling behavior began to affect their relationship, leading to their move to Valparaiso, Indiana, where Frank had received a job offer.

Despite hoping for a fresh start, their issues resurfaced, and they eventually divorced, with Kim being granted full custody of the children.

Frank’s devotion to his children was well-known among his co-workers and friends, and he frequently had arguments with Kim over visitation arrangements.

Following several confrontations with his ex-wife Kim and her former partner Dean Batalis, Frank decided to move on with his life. He met Kathy Witmer, a nurse, and the two hit it off right away. 

However, according to the show, Kim became jealous of Frank’s new relationship and began interfering in their lives. 

Kathy claimed that Kim was responsible for her losing her job and putting her child’s visitation rights in jeopardy.

Despite Frank’s repeated requests for Kim to stay out of his life, she went as far as filing a false complaint accusing him of molesting and abusing their children.

When the court discovered the false allegations, they revoked Kim’s custodial rights and awarded full custody of the children to Frank. 

As a result, Kathy lost her children and the substantial child support payments she received from Frank. 

As investigators probed Frank’s death, Kathy emerged as a strong suspect due to her motive, but she had a solid alibi as she was with her children during the murder.

The detectives interviewed other potential suspects, including Kathy’s ex-husband and Dean Batalis, but their alibis were verified, and the detectives hit a dead-end. 

However, they received a breakthrough when Donna, a member of Kim’s support group, came forward with a tip.

Donna claimed that she had overheard Kim and her boyfriend, Findley Paul Thompson, discussing the murder of Thompson’s ex-husband a few days before Frank’s murder.

Although Donna initially believed it was just talk, she was shocked to learn of Frank’s death.

Where are Kimberly Baldwin and Findley Paul Thompson now?

Upon questioning Paul from Portage, he confessed almost immediately to the murder. He claimed that Kim had told him Frank was s*xually abusing their children and paid him $10,000 to shoot him. 

Kim gave Paul a sawed-off shotgun, informed him about the unlocked backdoor, and he waited for Frank to return from the children’s home before shooting him in the head.

When Frank didn’t die, Paul stabbed him with a screwdriver from Frank’s toolbox and hit him with a brick.

Kim was found guilty in December 2004 of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and aiding in murder and received a 115-year sentence. Paul was also charged with first-degree murder and received an 85-year sentence. 

Kim appealed her conviction, and a Porter County judge re-sentenced her to 85 years in February 2008 after setting aside her original sentence.

According to court records, Paul passed away while in prison, while Kim, in her late 50s, is serving her sentence at the Rockville Correctional Facility. Her earliest possible release date is in August 2040.

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