Mich. mom allegedly abandoned her 3 kids for years, left them living in 'unconscionable' conditions

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (TCN) -- A 34-year-old woman is being charged with several counts of child abuse for allegedly leaving her son and two daughters to live in squalor and filth alone while she resided elsewhere.

On Feb. 16, Kelli Bryant’s landlord reached out to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a welfare check because he had not heard from her since December and she had not paid rent since October. Deputies went to the home and found it in "deplorable shape." The sheriff’s office said trash "was piled as high as 4 feet in some rooms, mold and human waste was found throughout, with the toilet overflowing and feces in the bathtub."

The department shared photos of some of their findings and the trash around the house. A technician had to wear a hazmat suit to process the scene.

Deputies located a 15-year-old boy and his 12- and 13-year-old sisters, who hid in a bathroom but eventually came out when deputies asked them to. The teen brother reportedly told officials their mother abandoned them in 2020 or 2021 and they "survived on the prepared food their mother or a stranger would leave on the front porch each week."

Bryant allegedly did not leave any toilet paper or other personal hygiene items for them. The sheriff’s office said she communicated with her son, but not her daughters.

According to the sheriff’s office, the three kids did not attend school and it "appeared the girls had not been outside the home for several years." The brother reportedly slept on a mattress on the floor and the sisters used pizza boxes. Neighbors reportedly had no idea children lived in the home, but they saw Bryant drop off food.

Paramedics transported the three juveniles to a hospital for evaluation. The sheriff’s office noted they all wore soiled clothing and had such long toenails that they had difficulty walking. They reportedly "were unfamiliar with how to use personal hygiene items or how to flush a toilet."

Investigators arrested Bryant without incident at another location. She said the children’s father did not play a role in their lives. The three victims are currently in a relative’s custody.

On Feb. 19, the sheriff’s office announced Bryant was charged with three counts of first-degree child abuse, which could carry a sentence of life in prison if she is convicted. A judge set her bond at $250 million.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the situation "unconscionable," saying, "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."

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