Michigan – A Michigan parent has been charged with first-degree feIony murder and first-degree chiId abuse in the death of her chiId, KyIee, Michigan authorities said after a probable-cause hearing. The charges stem from injuries the disabled chiId suffered earlier this year that ultimately led to her death at a hospital five days later. The mom, 37-year-old V. Avverhart, appeared before a judge last week, where prosecutors presented evidence supporting their decision to take her to trial on the serious charges.
Michigan authorities were first alerted to the situation in JuIy, when the 14-year-old victim was found in distress at the family’s home. The victim, who was nonverbaI and had autism along with CorneIia de Lange syndrome, was alive when emergency responders brought her to a hospital, but her condition was critical. Doctors attempted life-saving measures, including surgery to relieve sweIIing on her brain, but she died several days later from severe blunt force trauma to her head.
Investigators from the County Prosecutor’s Office and local law enforcement began an in-depth investigation into how the child sustained her injuries. According to court records and testimony from a child abuse pediatrician, the child suffered multiple, direct blunt-force bIows to the head, the type of severe trauma usually seen in high-impact collisions or assaults. The pediatrician testified that these injuries caused a massive brain bIeed, which was ultimately fatal.
Throughout the investigation, the mother’s account of what happened shifted multiple times. Initially, she told Michigan authorities that the child’s injuries were the result of choking on a food. When asked again, she said her child choked on a fruit. She later suggested that her partner was responsible for the child’s injuries. Prosecutors, however, noted inconsistencies in these stories and pointed out that the boyfriend’s account remained consistent. He testified that he briefly left the home and returned to find the child in distress, pulled a piece of food from her mouth, and attempted CPR before calling for help — though he denied causing the injuries.
Family members and investigators said that the child’s injuries were not consistent with accidental choking or minor household accidents given the severity and pattern of the trauma. Instead, evidence suggested the kind of force one would not expect under normal care circumstances. The judge at the probable-cause hearing agreed there was enough evidence to proceed to trial, finding that prosecutors had demonstrated a legitimate basis to charge the parent with murder and child abuse.
Members of the child’s extended family expressed deep sorrow and frustration over the case, saying they believed the mother’s accounts did not add up even before charges were filed. The child’s great-uncle told reporters that the family had grown suspicious of the explanations they were given from the start and noted that the victim’s father had been seeking custody of her over the summer because of concerns for her safety. According to family members, the mother allegedly said she didn’t want to care for her child anymore, stating, “You can have her, I don’t want her.”
The victim’s relatives also revealed that the child had been living in a locked room and that her head injuries were extremely severe — described as resembling those from a serious automobile crash. They said they hoped the charges against the mother would bring more clarity as to how long the child may have suffered before she was found and that the full truth about her final days would come out in court.
In contrast, the parent’s defense attorney has suggested that her partner may have caused the injuries, though prosecutors contend his story has been consistent and that there is no evidence to support that claim.
