CO Mom Gets 16 Years In Prison For Causing Daughter's 2017 Death

CENTENNIAL, CO —A Douglas County woman was sentenced to 16 years in prison Wednesday after she pleaded guilty last month to charges of child abuse, theft and fraud relating to the 2017 death of her 7-year-old daughter Olivia, the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced.

Kelly Renee Turner, 43, had been accused of first-degree murder and several other charges, before she pleaded guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea deal.

On Jan. 3, Turner pleaded guilty to one count of negligent child abuse causing death, one count of theft of between $100,000 and $1 million and one count of charitable fraud. She was sentenced Wednesday by Douglas County District Court Judge Patricia Herron.

Other charges against Turner, who lived in Highlands Ranch, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

“This is not a perfect outcome, but this is not a perfect case," District Attorney John Kellner said. I'm proud of our team that fought so hard for justice — after so many years —for little Olivia."

Kellner continued: "By pleading guilty, the defendant admits what she did to Olivia. She also lied about her daughter's condition and using those lies to her own financial gain. This is a despicable crime, and absolutely this defendant deserves to serve years behind bars."

According to reports, Turner had said that Olivia was diagnosed with neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy, a disease that attacks many of the body's vital organs.

In 2017, the Make-A-Wish-Foundation DaVita Inc., a dialysis company in Denver, helped Olivia live out her fantasy of dressing up as "Bat Princess" to battle Ursula and Captain Hook to save the Disney princesses Bella and Ariel.

Olivia died four months later.

According to authorities, in 2018, Douglas County Sheriff's investigators began looking into Turner after doctors and child welfare workers grew concerned about another one of Turner's daughters, whom they believed was being brought in for treatments that were not medically necessary.

When it was discovered that Turner's daughter Olivia had died of a mysterious, untreatable illness, doctors and child welfare workers contacted law enforcement. Eventually, investigators took the case to a grand jury, which had subpoena power, authorities said.

According to the district attorney's office, doctors interviewed in the investigation revealed that descriptions about Olivia's ailments had been dependent on Turner. They said Turner had approved several surgeries for Olivia, pushed for a Do Not Resuscitate order and put the child into hospice care.

The Denver Channel reported that in 2018, Olivia's body was exhumed and an autopsy was performed.

According to an indictment, Arapahoe County Coroner Dr. Kelly Lear ruled that Olivia's manner of death was undetermined based on a series of nonspecific results. She also said there was a lack of any findings that proved Olivia's death was caused by intestinal failure or any of the other illnesses that Taylor had claimed she was suffering from.

Additionally, the investigation uncovered that Turner had lied about having access to use private insurance, and had enrolled her family in Medicaid in order to pay for large healthcare bills. Plus, she had used fundraising platforms from charities in order to seek donations for Olivia's care, expenses and funeral.

In 2019, an 18th Judicial District Grand Jury initially indicted Turner on 13 counts, including two counts of first-degree murder. A plea agreement was announced on Jan. 3.

"There is no plea agreement or trial outcome that can atone for what was done to Olivia during
her short seven years of life," said Valerie Brewster, a senior district attorney who helped prosecute the case. "But today guarantees that there will be a permanent record and a recognition of what she endured; Olivia deserves at least that."