Three children from Michigan were discovered living in deplorable conditions in a home filled with feces, with the two girls sleeping on pizza boxes. Their mother, 34-year-old Kelli Bryant, is accused of abandoning them for years. However, when Bryant appeared for a police interview, she was well-groomed and dressed in clean clothes, complete with fake nails, according to a detective’s testimony at a preliminary hearing.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Det. John Brish, who interviewed Bryant, was taken aback by her appearance and attitude. Bryant allegedly confessed to prioritizing her needs over those of her children, a 15-year-old boy and two girls aged 12 and 13. She reportedly admitted to harming her children and possibly sacrificing their well-being. She also inquired if there was anything she could do to help herself.
Prosecutors revealed that Bryant had saved her children’s numbers in her phone not by their names, but as “My oldest,” “Kid 1,” and “Kid 2.” The children, on the other hand, had saved her number under the name “World’s greatest mom” or something similar. The children were rescued following a welfare check in February.
Brish testified that Bryant acknowledged her actions were selfish and had made her children sick. She admitted to sacrificing her children for her own purposes. The living conditions of the children were described as horrific by the deputies. The first deputy on the scene found the home filled with feces, trash, and cobwebs. The boy had difficulty walking due to his overgrown toenails, while the two girls were found hunched over, holding hands.
Bryant’s attorney argued that the children did not appear to be mentally harmed as they were articulate and intelligent during interviews with investigators. However, Judge Cynthia Thomas Walker ruled that the prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial on child abuse and welfare fraud charges.
The landlord of the home, located in Pontiac, about 25 miles northwest of Detroit, contacted the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in February for a welfare check as he had not heard from Bryant since December and had not received rent since October. The deputies discovered a severe case of abandonment, neglect, and abuse.
The boy reportedly told deputies that he and his sisters had been living alone since 2020 or 2021. The house was filled with garbage, feces, and mold. The children had not attended school since their abandonment and spent their days watching TV and playing video games. Bryant had contact with her son but had not seen the girls for several years. The boy slept on a mattress while the girls slept on pizza boxes. Food was dropped off on the porch weekly by their mother or a “stranger.”
Neighbors reported seeing the mother dropping off food but were unaware that children lived in the house. The children were taken to the hospital for evaluation. They were found in soiled clothes, with matted hair, and had difficulty walking due to their overgrown toenails. The children lacked basic hygiene skills and were placed in the custody of a relative by Child Protective Services.