Parents Arrested For Concealing Dead Teenager’s Body, Lying To Deputies in Kingman

The parents of a dead 16-year-old Kingman boy are in custody after to confessing to concealing the teenager’s body in a blanket and lying to law enforcement that he was a run away.

On February 25, 2023, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to the 2300 block of Packard Ave in Kingman, AZ, for a runaway juvenile report. Amber-Leah Valentine, 41, and Jon Imes, 41, both of Kingman, reported that their 16-year-old son had run away from home. Deputies were told he was last seen the day prior on February 24th around 10:00 a.m.

On February 28, 2023, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to the area of Anson Smith Rd. and Indian Canyon Rd. in Kingman after a body was discovered. A deceased white male was located wrapped in a blanket behind a stone wall. The identity of the deceased was unknown, and an autopsy was scheduled to determine the cause/manner of death.


On Thursday, March 2nd, Amber-Leah Valentine called the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office and reported that she had just freed her 14-year-old daughter, who was being held captive by Valentine’s roommates, Richard Pounds, 34, and Shioban Gujda, 39, both of Kingman. Amber requested medical attention for both she and her 14-year-old daughter, and they both were transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center.

At that time, Amber-Leah Valentine indicated that she and her husband, Jon Imes, had disposed of their 16-year-old son’s body at the previously mentioned location. She admitted that she lied to deputies when they reported him as a runaway and acknowledged that he was already deceased at the time of the report. During questioning, Jon Imes also admitted to disposing of his son’s body and lying to Deputies about him running away.

Detectives interviewed the 14-year-old daughter while she was at Kingman Regional Medical Center. The female juvenile indicated that she had been shot in the eye with a BB gun by Richard Pounds and provided additional accounts of abuse in the home.

Arizona Department of Child Safety was contacted, and the juvenile is currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed location.

Both Amber-Leah Valentine and Jon Imes were taken into custody for felony Abandonment/ Concealment of a Dead Body and booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A search warrant was served at the residence in the 2300 block of Packard Avenue with the assistance of the Bullhead City SWAT team. The roommates, Richard Pounds and Shioban Gujda were taken into custody and questioned at the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office. After questioning, Richard Pounds was arrested for felony Child Abuse and Aggravated Assault and booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention Center. Shioban Gujda was released pending further

The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on the 16-year-old male on Saturday, March 4th, to determine the cause of death. The autopsy results are pending. This case remains under active investigation and additional charges are pending.