Mich. mom who abandoned kids to fend for themselves in ‘deplorable’ home pleads no contest

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (TCN) -- A 35-year-old mother will serve at least six years in prison after pleading no contest to three counts of first-degree child abuse.

In February 2025, the landlord of Kelli Bryant called the police to conduct a welfare check at residence and when authorities arrived, they discovered three children, ages 12, 13, and 15, living alone in a squalid home. Their hair was matted, they had trouble walking due to their toenails being too long, and they did not know how to use the toilet or hygiene items. None of the children had not been to school in several years.

Bryant reportedly dropped off food occasionally and would only have contact with her son. She reportedly had not seen her daughters in years. When the house was processed by technicians, they had to wear hazmat suits due to the filth; trash was reportedly piled 4 feet high, the bathtub was overflowing with feces, and the girls slept on pizza boxes.

Bryant was arrested on Feb. 16 and according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, “Throughout my extensive career in this field, I have never encountered a scenario as dire and prolonged as this one, involving abandonment, neglect, and abuse of the highest order. This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for your three children. The young girls have been deprived of any interaction with their mother and have not received an education for years. The far-reaching consequences of this abuse must be acknowledged. We look forward to presenting this case to the prosecutor and ensuring that she faces the consequences of her actions.”

In December 2025, Bryant pleaded no contest to welfare fraud charges in connection with collecting the benefits for her children after abandoning them, and in June, she was found competent to stand trial for child abuse charges.

According to an Oakland County, Michigan news release, Bryant pleaded no contest to three charges of first-degree child abuse on July 16; her parental rights were terminated in April.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said, “This plea will spare the children from testifying at trial and ensures Bryant remains incarcerated until they are all adults…I'm hopeful the children she victimized will continue to have the space and resources to heal from this abhorrent trauma,” according to the news release. Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1.

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