Bunnell, FL - The 2018 death of 85-year-old Frances King is the first case solved by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) Cold Case Unit. The cause of death was determined to be “Severe Emaciation and Emphysematous Cystitis” due to “Elder Abuse, Neglect and Starvation.” The Medical Examiner ruled King’s death a Homicide. The investigation stalled when investigators could not get access to medical and legal records that established the victim's diminished capacity and that her daughter, 64-year-old Kim Zaheer, was the legally responsible party for her care.
Enter the dedicated full-time Cold Case Unit and Detective Andrew Cangialosi, the Unit's first full-time investigator. He was assigned the Frances King Manslaughter case in March 2020 and was eventually able to locate a “Certificate of Incapacity” and found that King’s daughter, Zaheer, was the “Primary Care Surrogate” for King at the time of her death. It was also
determined that the last time King visited her Primary Care doctor was in November 2017. A year later, on March 31, 2021, Cangialosi obtained an arrest warrant for Kim Zaheer, charging her with Aggravated Manslaughter.
“Cases like these and the small list of other unsolved cases of homicides, missing persons, and sex crimes are what led to the creation of the Cold Case Unit,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I am grateful that we were able to arrest the suspect in this case and hopefully this can offer some closure to family and friends of the victim. If you are responsible for a human being’s care you must take care of them. No matter how long it takes we will continue these investigations to hold people accountable for their crimes.”
Zaheer is charged with Manslaughter of an Elderly Disabled Adult. Her bond is set at $500,000.
