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A foster mother and her husband who jointly ran a home for severely disabled children and adults have been reindicted on charges more than a year a judge dismissed a count of second-degree murder against the wife for lack of evidence. Once again, Michelle Louise Morris-Kerin, 82, must contend with allegations that she willfully turned a blind eye on the dying Diane “Princess” Ramirez, 17, amid learning that California‘s Child Protective Services planned on moving the teenager to another facility.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday that Morris-Kerin faces 15 counts concerning multiple victims. Charges include the aforementioned murder charge as well as involuntary manslaughter in Ramirez’s death, child endangerment, dependent adult endangerment likely to cause great bodily injury or death, and lewd acts on dependent adults. Her husband, Edward Lawrence “Larry” Kerin, 81, was indicted on nine counts, including involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, dependent adult endangerment, and lewd acts on dependent adults.
Michelle Louise Morris-Kerin and her husband, Edward Lawrence “Larry” Kerin, in their 2021 arrest. They mistreated disabled children and adults in their care, culminating in Diane “Princess” Ramirez, 17, dying in April 2019, authorities said. (Images: Riverside County District Attorney’s Office)
Prosecutors claim the couple mistreated both children and adults.
“The investigation revealed additional evidence that numerous other residents had been previously abused and neglected, the facility was not properly staffed for 24-hour care, and medical records were not properly maintained,” prosecutors wrote amid original charges in August 2021. “Some of the adult dependent residents were found to lack the mental capacity to give consent but engaged in sexual activities facilitated and encouraged by both defendants.”
Prosecutors said the people in the couple’s care were in no position to fight back.
“Many of the victims were non-ambulatory and unable to speak, requiring 24-hour care,” authorities wrote.
Diane, who lived with cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, and other issues, had been living in the facility while her parents were undergoing a difficult divorce, and neither could care for her.
She remained a lively young woman despite the heath challenges, taking a high school quarterback to a prom in 2018, according to reports.
“That’s one of the best memories of my life,” her date Jeff Miller told the The Orange County Register after Ramirez died. “Heaven has gained another beautiful angel.”
Diane Ramirez aka “Princess Diana” lived a joyous life with cerebral palsy. Her mother is now demanding an investigation into the facility caring for her when she suddenly died. That controversial Murrieta foster home has had several other documented allegations of abuse. @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/LLFqvo1O1S
— Nicole Comstock (@ComstockNEWS) May 2, 2019
Her health situation escalated by April 2, 2019. Prosecutors said that she wound up at an emergency room that day, vomiting up blood, according to the Register. Hospital staffers told Morris-Kerin to call the 911 if Ramirez coughed up blood again.
Three days later, however, Morris-Kerin learned of CPS’ plan to take Ramirez to another facility. That same day, the teenager started coughing up what seemed to be blood.
Even so, Morris-Kerin allegedly told her employees not to call 911.
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Prosecutor Jason Stone reportedly construed Morris-Kerin’s attitude as Ramirez not “going to be [the facility’s] worry.”
Authorities have said, however, that Diane languished in pain for up to nine hours, vomiting blood several times and showing inconsistent vital signs.
Employees finally called 911 when the teenager apparently lacked a pulse.
Ramirez died of a volvulus — a loop of her small intestine.
“The substantial factor is the absolute abrogation of duty to get care for her,” Stone reportedly said.
Morris-Kerin reportedly started her care home in Riverside County after she operated a similar facility in Orange County, where she ran afoul of authorities who claimed she had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental illness in which a caregiver fakes a child being sick. She sued, got a settlement and moved to Riverside County.
She reportedly continued facing complaints, however. One of Ramirez’s teachers told Riverside County workers that Morris-Kerin did not “take good care” of Ramirez and the other kids, and “is just doing it for the money,” according to social workers’ internal logs obtained by the outlet. California reportedly gives foster care providers $5,000 a month per disabled child.
Riverside Superior Court Judge Timothy F. Freer dismissed the original second-degree murder charge against the foster mother on April 28, 2022, however. Though expressing sympathy for Diane’s loved ones, he said prosecutors failed to show if there was enough time to seek medical aid as opposed to the volvulus being surely fatal, according to the Register.
“There was no evidence that the volvulus that afflicted Diane was one that could be treated, or one that would have been fatal no matter what,” the judge reportedly said.
For example, the ER doctors who actually treated Ramirez did not testify after they refused to take the stand without a subpoena.
“That the defendant caused her death is not a reasonable inference from the testimony,” Freer reportedly said. “Speculation is required to conclude intervention would have helped.”
Ramirez’s parents, Angel Cadena and Alberto Ramirez Jr., both expressed bitter disappointment with the result last year.
“Michelle knew exactly what she was doing refusing to seek medical attention,” texted Cadena, who told the outlet that her “Princess Diane” already expressed fear of the defendant.
“I truly believe Michelle murdered my daughter,” Ramirez reportedly texted.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said authorities maintained efforts after the court setback.
“In the subsequent months, further investigation was conducted, and new evidence was obtained,” they wrote Friday. “That prompted prosecutors to convene a new criminal grand jury to hear additional facts in the case, and led to the new indictment, which was filed on Nov. 20, 2023.”
