(ConservativeHub.com) – Most parents want to see their children live long, healthy lives, but one Colorado mother is facing prison time for her part in the death of her child. At the heart of the case seems to be a disorder, called Munchausen syndrome by proxy, that led to the mother faking her daughter’s health issues.
On January 3, Kelly Turner entered a plea deal in the August 20, 2017, death of her 7-year-old daughter, Olivia Gant. She pleaded guilty to three felony charges: child abuse negligently causing death, theft, and charitable fraud.
District Court Judge Patricia Herron set sentencing for February 9. Turner faces up to 16 years in prison.
Kelly Turner, mom accused of killing 7-year-old daughter by faking her illness, reaches plea deal https://t.co/uxWDF0VvJC pic.twitter.com/n1AyseeiUi
— New York Post (@nypost) January 7, 2022
For years, the mother had claimed that the little girl had multiple illnesses and was terminally ill. In 2017, just weeks before the child’s death, Turner took her to the Colorado Children’s Hospital, where doctors said she was malnourished. Olivia’s official cause of death was intestinal failure.
In 2018, officials became suspicious of the mother when she brought another daughter for medical care, claiming she had cancer. After removal from her mother’s home, medical officials declared her in good health with no issues. Then, during an autopsy on Olivia’s body, investigators were unable to uncover any evidence of intestinal failure or any of the other illnesses her mother claimed she had.
Turner used her daughter to gain fame in the local media, which covered Olivia’s story closely, accept fraudulent charitable donations, and receive medical benefits of over $500,000. Judge Herron said Turner’s alleged medical condition complicated this case. She explained Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a condition that causes people to pretend or create medical issues in a patient, usually their own child, in an attempt to get attention. Left untreated, the syndrome can kill, as in the case of little Olivia.
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