Foster Mother Kristen Marler Pled No Contest to Child Endangerment in 2022

On Monday this week K2 Radio published a story about a young Casper woman named Kambria Marler, a foster child who spent nearly a decade on Casper Mountain after being adopted by Steven and Kristen Marler.

READ: Casper Woman Speaks Out Against "Abusive" Foster Parents

We know Steven Marler has been arrested, but at this time media is barred from saying anything further about his case.

Several readers have reached out asking about Kambria's foster mother, Kristen Marler. We have since found court records showing that she was charged and pled no contest to child endangerment on May 3, 2022.

The investigation began in February 2021 when the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy in Guernsey reported a severely underweight girl with feet that looked like "small cantaloupes" to the Department of Family Services.

Kambria claims Kristen Marler forced her to stand against a wall for about three months after she said she no longer wanted to be part of the Marler family. Court records show that Kambria told investigators that she was only allowed to use the bathroom four times a day and "drank what she could under the sink faucet." For breakfast she was given half of a potato and about three inches of meat -- either buffalo or wild game. She did not, allegedly, receive the same meals as family members including fruit, vegetables, and dairy, rice, oatmeal, and desserts.

She told investigators that there were locks on the pantry and refrigerator and neither she nor her siblings had the lock codes.

Court records indicate that when Kambria was accepted into the military academy in Guernsey, she had a "skeletal appearance," and she suffered from leg cramps and bruising on her hips from leaning on the wall. It was also concerning that at 17 years old, she had not reached puberty benchmarks for a girl her age.

"And I don't know if it's a problem but I have never had my periods. I don't even have hair under my armpits yet. I don't have breasts, either" Kambria told investigators. "I think they were trying to break me," reflected Kambria in a recent interview with K2 Radio News.

Investigators interviewed multiple people in the Marler home. All names have been redacted for various reasons. In one interview, investigators spoke with a man living in the Marler home. His name has been redacted. In the interview he tells investigators that Kambria was found with cat food, but he was unsure if she was eating it. When asked of her specific eating issues he said the biggest issue was that Kambria would eat like a "lumberjack." In the beginning he thought it was good, but then began to wonder what it was doing to her after seeing how large her stools were.

Later in the interview, he told investigators, "Also, they [the children] do overeat and you smell that [gas]. You know something's wrong with the diet. It's your body saying, that's too much. And you would kinda know. Kinda thinking something's wrong here. Did someone steal something and gorge themselves? And then twelve hours later, you smell it."

Medical records show that in August of 2018 Kambria weighed 78 lbs. In 2021 she weighed 67 lbs.

After being removed from the Marler home, Kambria gained 18 lbs. in less than a month. During this time, Kambria noted that she was feeling much better, experiencing growing pains in her legs, and had begun to experience changes related to puberty.

"I think they were trying to break me."

If Kambria's story is true, it's noteworthy that she was not broken. Her feet did not break, though they almost did. Her spirit did not break, though it almost did. She was tenacious. In our last interview with Kambria, we asked her if she believes she saved herself and the others. This is what she said:

"I am proud of what I did. I wasn't going to let them get away with it. I think they were trying to break me and make me feel alone and isolated and that I was a terrible person. But whether my siblings knew it or not, I knew what was going on was not okay. I had to be the one to stand up for us. So I did. No matter how much Steven or Kristen pushed me, I took it with stride. It wasn't just because I was the oldest; I was the first, and there was this point where, when Steven started not being interested in me anymore, and I saw that he was...um...that point where I saw if he loses interest in me he's just going to move on to one of my younger sisters, I didn't want that to happen. I knew I had to do something."

Kambria says she remembers when her foster siblings told her Kristen was taken away in handcuffs. She was later released on a $5,000 Personal Recognizance bond.

"DFS told me that the deal was that she had to put all the kids in public schools, take them to regular doctor appointments, counseling, and community activities with the Boys & Girls Club. As far as I know, she complied, but slowly more allegations began to come out and the Marlers were pressured to release the foster children."

K2 has yet to hear back from Kristen Marler, though we did leave a voicemail. We will continue to follow this story and give updates as more information becomes available.