PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A troubling case out of Michigan saw a woman plead no contest to horrific child abuse charges on Thursday. The woman, accused of abandoning three children to live in appalling conditions, faces a six-year prison sentence under the agreement, authorities reported.
The state of the Pontiac residence was shockingly poor. When the children were discovered in February 2025, police evidence teams deemed the conditions so hazardous that they had to wear hazmat suits.
The children, aged 15, 13, and 12, had been surviving largely on their own since either 2020 or 2021, getting by with sporadic food deliveries left on the porch. They lived surrounded by garbage and human waste, according to police reports. The dire situation came to light when deputies responded to a landlord complaining about months of unpaid rent.
Kelli Bryant, 35, the accused mother who resided elsewhere in Pontiac, entered a no contest plea to the charges of abuse. She is scheduled to appear in court again in September for sentencing. Attempts to contact her defense attorney yielded no response.
Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald commented on the plea agreement, noting, “This plea will prevent the children from having to testify at trial and ensures Bryant will be imprisoned until they reach adulthood.” She added, expressing hope, “I’m optimistic that the young victims will continue to receive the support and resources needed to recover from this severe ordeal.”
The father lost contact with the kids while in prison in an unrelated matter and was barred by their mother from seeing them when he was released, Sheriff Mike Bouchard said when Bryant was arrested.