Fighting for her son’s soul

By Brian Livingston / staff writer

May 07, 2008 12:43 am

— When Charlotte Kimbrough answered the phone on April 9, 2007, she could hear what she thought was her son's voice on the other end.
But her son, Charles Kimbrough, sounded much different. Immediately the motherly instincts came to the forefront. She could tell he was in pain. She could tell something was terribly wrong.
"Mom," said Charles Kimbrough, "I'm in a bit of trouble over here. I'm in jail and I'm being tortured. I need you to talk to this man."
A distinctly Middle Eastern voice came on the phone and in no uncertain terms informed Charlotte Kimbrough she must start to contact her congressmen, her national representatives on foreign affairs and anyone else she could because her son had been arrested for a very serious crime.
That would be the last direct contact she had with her son for the next several months.
"It was the most horrible feeling to know my son was imprisoned and being tortured in a foreign country," said Kimbrough.
That one phone call launched Charlotte Kimbrough on a campaign to save her son. It would also mark the beginning of a months-long journey to rescue Charles Kimbrough's son, Nelson, and bring him home. Tens of thousands of dollars would be spent. Phone calls and e-mails would be sent around the globe. No stone would be left unturned.
Kimbrough started with e-mails and phone calls to Mississippi political representatives in Washington, D.C. Congressmen Chip Pickering and Trent Lott were informed of the Kimbrough case and officials with the United States Embassy in Kuwait were contacted. In fact, Charles Kimbrough had early on been able to use a smuggled cell phone to notify the embassy in Kuwait City. Embassy officials were allowed one visit in which they took pictures of his bruises and cuts but they were not allowed back in to see him afterward.
During the time Charlotte Kimbrough was tracking down state, national and other government officials to inform them of her son's case, she was also learning bit by bit how dire the situation was in Kuwait.
Her son's infant baby, Nelson, was now living with his mother, Joy, in near poverty conditions. There was a real threat of Joy losing the baby to Kuwaiti authorities or the baby becoming terribly sick due to less than clean conditions. In addition, Charlotte Kimbrough was trying to send money, food and clothing over to her son. After a couple of months without hearing from him, Charlotte Kimbrough began getting phone calls every few weeks from her son.
"I never went anywhere without my cell phone because I didn't know when Charles would be allowed to call," said Charlotte Kimbrough. "He told me once he was freezing to death so I arranged with the U.S. Embassy there to accept some coats for Charles and his boss. Two months later Charles called and said he had finally received the coats."
It was clear as the weeks passed Charlotte Kimbrough was going to have to take matters into her own hands. She was able to talk her cousin, Marilyn Brewer of Leewood, Kansas to travel overseas to see Charles and to try and bring the baby home. It would turn into the most intense trip of Charlotte Kimbrough's life.
Arriving at Kuwait City Airport in mid-July, Kimbrough and Brewer were met by embassy officials and whisked through customs. The two women waited a couple of days before going to see Nelson and his mother but when they did, they were shocked to see the baby's condition.
"He was bow-legged and obviously not in great shape," Charlotte Kimbrough said. "We really started the wheels rolling in terms of gaining a power of attorney and eventually custody of the baby."
Nivin Marafi, who had been Charles Kimbrough's public defender at the time of his arrest, was a beautiful Kuwaiti woman, according to Charlotte Kimbrough. But she was also highly motivated by money. Kimbrough said once she agreed to pay her twice her normal rate, Marafi turned into a whirlwind in getting the baby out of the country.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Kimbrough was determined to see her son. It would mean a long journey out into the Kuwaiti desert where the Central Prison was located. It would mean hours of waiting, numerous searches and inspections. It would mean also leaving her son behind.
"The prison was very scary and in a desolate place out in the desert," Charlotte Kimbrough said. "The building was filthy."
Charlotte Kimbrough was able to take Nelson to the prison to see his dad. But the experience was more difficult than she could ever imagine.
"I had to sit in a cage," she said. "I had to bend over just to walk into it. When Charles was brought out, I was afraid he could hear my heart breaking. He'd lost 40 pounds and his head was shaved. But he was alive."
Not a great deal could be said because of the public setting in the large room and the constant roaming of the prison guards. Charlotte Kimbrough said Charles never took his eyes off Nelson the entire two visits.
"I wanted to hold him badly," Charlotte Kimbrough said. "I honestly didn't think I'd ever see him again. But before we left he said, 'Mom, don't leave without my baby.'"
Charlotte Kimbrough left the prison crying. She still didn't know if she could get Nelson out of the country but more devastating to her was the fact she was leaving her son behind. She felt a sorrow like never before that seemed to run into the very depths of her soul.
Despite the setbacks, gains were achieved.
Marafi, now motivated by money, and the U.S. Embassy personnel, kicked into high gear by Charlotte Kimbrough and numerous calls from Mississippi politicians and even representatives from vice-president Dick Cheney's office, were making strides toward getting the baby out and back home to Mississippi. Also, Mohammad Khuraidet, Charles Kimbrough's second attorney who took Kimbrough's case with the support of ex-amir Alaa Hussein who was imprisoned with Charles Kimbrough, was preparing to blow the prosecution's case against the American out of the water.
There never was any physical evidence submitted to connect Kimbrough and his boss to the allegations.
"We were able to get custody of Nelson and Marafi, at the last minute, got us clearance out of the country," Charlotte Kimbrough said. "But as the plane lifted off that runway in Kuwait, and even though we had the baby, I couldn't help but feel terrible that Charles was still down there."
In February of 2008, Charles Kimbrough was acquitted of all charges. On March 10 he walked through the doors of Meridian Regional Airport to a throng of family and friends holding signs and cheering his return home. The biggest hugs were reserved for his mother and his son. For a long time, as if he was making up for those two visits in which he craved their touch so much, Charles Kimbrough held onto those two people.
"My mom is my hero," Charles Kimbrough would say later. "There were times when I felt so alone but deep down I knew God and my mom were there for me."
"Our faith got us through all this," said Charlotte Kimbrough. "There were also many, many people here at home who prayed for us and we thank them so very much."
Charles Kimbrough's boss has just recently been released and has been reunited with his family in the United States.
Charles Kimbrough and his son Nelson, now 2 years old, are getting reacquainted.
The cell phone tone Charlotte Kimbrough used to alert her Charles was calling from the Kuwaiti prison has been forever changed. She never wants to hear that ring tone again.

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