Olivia Jansen case: Dad’s girlfriend sentenced to 31 years for role in 3-year-old’s death

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (TCD) --  A 35-year-old woman was handed a prison sentence Monday for her role in the death of her boyfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.

WDAF-TV reports Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick was sentenced to 31 years and three months and must pay $1,216.92 in restitution for funeral costs. Kirkpatrick pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, abuse of a child under the age of 6, and two counts of interference with law enforcement in November, according to WDAF.

WIBW-TV reports Kirkpatrick and her boyfriend Howard Jansen III kept his daughter Olivia Jansen in a dog kennel while she was abused.

The Kansas City Kansas Police Department put out an active Amber Alert on July 10, 2020, saying Olivia was last seen that morning at her home on the 4400 block of Gibbs. That same day, the department canceled the Amber Alert because officers located a body in a wooded area and they believed it to be Olivia’s.

According to an affidavit, Olivia was found in a shallow grave with "severe bruising all over her face." The document says Olivia "suffered great physical abuse" and had bruises all over her legs and arm. Additionally, the autopsy determined Olivia died from a brain bleed. She reportedly had a “small cut” on the back of her head and she bled on the outside of her skull.

Howard Jansen is reportedly awaiting trial. He’s booked in the Wyandotte County Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder, unauthorized control of a body, and aggravated endangering a child.

KMBC-TV reports Olivia’s grandmother sought help for her and wanted to be the little girl’s guardian. She reportedly called police to check on her granddaughter in June 2020. Police went to the house, but there was no answer.

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