Kimberley A. Forder was held at the Kitsap County Jail on $1 million bail.

Christopher Forder died of pneumonia when the family lived in Seabeck, but Sheriff Steve Boyer said he had been repeatedly abused and an autopsy found extensive bruising on the boy's body.

Boyer says his office had been working on the case for nearly four years, but without enough witness corroboration to make an arrest until recently, when Forder's eldest biological daughter went to child welfare officials in Oregon with information about Christopher's death.

According to the documents prepared by prosecutors, Forder made the boy sleep in a crib, eat dog food and wear soiled diapers on his head as punishment, among other alleged acts of abuse and neglect. Records said the child also spent days outside or in the basement as punishment, without food, water or blankets and was reportedly beaten with a stick or belt.

Forder was arrested as she returned to Kitsap County for medical treatment from Liberia, Africa where she and her family worked in a Christian ministry, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.

She had been living with her husband and seven adopted children.