Seorin Kim holds her daughter, Lesley Kim, in this undated family photo. (Photo provided by Younghee and Uhwan Kim)
The family of a Denver woman who was killed earlier this year filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against her husband, a Regis University professor who is charged with murder in her death.
The parents of 44-year-old Seorin Kim sued Nicholas Myklebust, 45, to try to ensure he does not profit from the couple’s shared assets after the deaths of his wife and two children, the lawsuit states.
Seorin Kim and her 2½-month-old daughter, Lesley Kim, both died July 29 after an incident at the family’s home in the 3200 block of North Syracuse Street. When officers arrived, Lesley was dead and Seorin Kim was suffering from fatal injuries.
Myklebust had bruises on his hands and scratches on his body. He claimed his wife must have fallen from a step stool, but the woman’s injuries did not match his account, police said.
Seorin Kim was found near a baby bassinet in a bedroom, the lawsuit states.
Lesley was found on a bed with no visible external injuries, and the manner and cause of her death have not yet been determined.
She was the second infant to die in Myklebust’s care — the couple’s first child, Bear Myklebust, died in 2021 at the age of 9 days. No charges were filed in his death, though he suffered skull fractures, and his manner of death was ruled to be undetermined.
Myklebust was arrested on July 29 and has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in his wife’s death. He has not been charged with Lesley’s death, and no charges were filed when Bear died in 2021.
Seorin Kim’s parents are seeking damages for a single wrongful death claim for Seorin’s death, according to the lawsuit.
Seorin Kim and Myklebust were together for 25 years and married for 11. Seorin Kim worked as a forensic accountant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Denver. She conceived both Bear and Lesley with the help of fertility treatments.
Myklebust is due in Denver District Court on Friday for a status conference in the murder case.
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