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US3 min(s) read
Published 15:34 26 Jun 2026 GMT
A Colorado mother has been charged with second-degree murder months after her 16-year-old daughter was found dead inside their home with 173 empty alcohol bottles in her bedroom, according to prosecutors.
Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, was arrested after investigators alleged she repeatedly supplied alcohol and marijuana to her daughter, Grace Elizabeth Ryan, despite the teenager suffering severe health problems linked to alcohol abuse.
Grace was found unresponsive at the family's home in Arvada on the morning of March 9 and was pronounced dead at the scene. Prosecutors said digital evidence and text messages gathered during the investigation painted a troubling picture of the months leading up to her death.
According to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, messages between Grace and her mother showed the teenager had been vomiting blood, struggling to eat, having difficulty walking, and wearing diapers because of her condition.
Investigators also alleged Grace repeatedly expressed fears she was going to die and asked for help.
Days before her death, she texted her mother (obtained by The Denver Post): "If you’re going to do this to me you need to take me to a hospital."
Court documents also allege Ryan replied by encouraging her daughter to smoke marijuana instead of drinking.
In another exchange from January, Ryan wrote: "I’m committing child abuse and murder."
She continued: "And I will go to prison. So we have to do something it is really bad. Do you understand? Vomiting blood is a really bad sign. Look it up. I probably should tell (redacted) and take you to the hospital. Are you reading these? Hello!!!’... Respond!!!!!!!!!! Do you want to die? If (redacted) saw you he’d freak out. Quit ignoring me."
On the night before she died, Grace reportedly texted her mother saying she felt sick. Authorities said her final outgoing message was sent from her iPad at 10:07PM.
Authorities said the iPad was discovered beside Grace's body in the bathroom the following morning. Prosecutors said 911 was not called until around 8:15AM.
When officers arrived, Ryan was allegedly slurring her words and told detectives, "I feel like I killed her," according to the arrest warrant.
Investigators also reported finding 173 empty alcohol bottles under Grace's bed and inside her closet. Court documents state Ryan later told police that she and her daughter each drank about a bottle of vodka every day and that Grace vomited from drinking at least once a week.
The affidavit also said Grace had texted a friend a week before her death that she was an alcoholic and wanted to get sober.
An autopsy concluded that Grace died from aspiration pneumonia related to chronic alcohol use. The report also found she had an abnormally fatty liver, which investigators believed resulted from prolonged alcohol consumption.
Prosecutors said Grace had been withdrawn from public high school in April 2025 to attend online classes, but completed only one semester and did not take part in activities outside the home.
Ryan is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 cash only bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 16. She has not yet entered a plea, and it is unclear whether she has retained an attorney.
us4 min(s) read
Published 13:11 18 Aug 2025 GMT
Haunting texts sent by a teen behind bars after being accused of killing her mom and stepdad have surfaced online.
Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, was arrested in July and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the February 20, 2025, shooting deaths of her mother, 41-year-old Kristin Brock, and stepfather, 45-year-old James Brock.
The couple was found dead in their Carrollton bedroom, west of Atlanta, by Patrick’s five-year-old sister, Jaley. The suspect called 911, News.com.au reported.
“It hits me when I see my five-year-old sister screaming for her mommy and daddy,” Patrick later wrote in a TikTok post, before her account was deactivated.
Authorities say Patrick turned herself in after being presented with what the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has described as “mountains of physical and digital evidence,” gathered in collaboration with the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Investigators noted there were no signs of forced entry at the house, and claim a livestreamed recording of Sarah giving her mother’s eulogy was among the evidence that raised suspicions.
“She’s 17. She’s kind of been out on her own. She’s lived with different family members and moved all over the place. We don’t know what goes through the mind of a child who wants to harm their parents,” said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Hulsey.
Patrick has not yet entered a plea, and her family insists she is innocent. Her father, Doniel Patrick, has been publicly appealing for supporters to write character witness letters.
“If you would like to do this please I’m begging you write a letter as soon as you can,” he wrote on Facebook, cited by The Sun. “Thank you all and God bless you all for your support.”
Screenshots shared by family friend Carrie Jenson reveal Sarah’s own words from jail. “I’m beyond [grateful] for the support and prayers and for [y'all giving] me a voice, it means more than anyone could imagine,” she texted.
In another message, she added: “Yes maam and it was good news yesterday I love yall and im so beyond proud of you and miss you guys so dang much.”
Her father has also claimed she has endured distressing experiences while incarcerated.
He described one incident in which she was shackled and transported to court for a hearing that did not exist, left in a small holding cell all day with her wrists and ankles in pain.
“She just didn’t understand what was going on,” he wrote, though he noted she had since received commissary items that lifted her spirits.
Patrick’s background is complicated, as court records reviewed by Daily Mail reveal a troubled upbringing marked by custody battles and allegations of drug use by both parents.
Doniel filed for divorce in 2018 and, at one point, alleged that the deceased couple exposed the children to methamphetamine and marijuana.
Patrick, then 11, told police she felt “unsafe” in their home and pleaded in writing to live with her father. Despite such disputes, Kristin retained primary custody for much of Sarah’s adolescence.
The volatile household environment included accusations of violence, including a 2020 incident where James alleged Kristin tried to drive a car into a barn where he was standing, with young Jaley in the backseat. Those charges were later dropped, and the couple married in December 2023.
Through it all, Sarah’s father and grandfather Dennis Nolan have remained steadfast in her defense.
“Nothing puts the gun in her hand. They don’t have the gun...I know, 100 per cent of my heart, that Sarah’s innocent,” Dennis said.
“She’s a typical 17-year-old that lived like a teenager, and she would never do this,” Doniel also shared. “I’ll always be in your corner. Never doubt your place in this world. You were sent here with purpose, wrapped in grace and born to shine.”
The teen is being charged as an adult and remains in custody ahead of her bond hearing on August 19.
us4 min(s) read
Published 16:48 13 Jul 2025 GMT
The chilling social media posts of a Georgia teenager who tearfully eulogized her mother and stepfather at their funeral, only to later be charged with their murders, have been revealed.
As previously reported, Sarah Grace Patrick, now 17, was arrested on July 8 and charged as an adult with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Her mother, 41-year-old Kristin Brock, and stepfather, 45-year-old James Brock, were found shot dead in their Carrollton home - located roughly 45 miles west of Atlanta - on February 20.
At the time of the killings, Patrick was just 16. Police say she was inside the home when the murders occurred and that her five-year-old sister discovered the bodies. Patrick then called 911.
"There were no signs of forced entry, and nothing appeared to have been taken," Carroll County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Ashley Hulsey confirmed. "With no evidence of a break-in, the investigation turned inward."
Patrick’s arrest followed what investigators described as “mountains of physical and digital evidence”, including her online activity and the emotional eulogy she delivered at a March 8 funeral service at Catalyst Church in Carrollton.
"It seemed odd," Hulsey told NewsNation. "It was more like a speech. And at the end she said, ‘I’m sorry.’ Was that, ‘I’m sorry because I may have done this,’ or is it, ‘I’m sorry because I was upset during this eulogy’? We may never know."
Footage from the service shows Patrick, dressed in a pale blue dress, breaking down as she addressed mourners: "I was so used to you guys always being here... I didn’t have a single clue how much I needed y’all until now."
In the weeks that followed, Patrick continued sharing grief-themed posts on social media.
One TikTok video, made a month after the killings, included family photos over emotional music. The text read: “They don't know it, but a year from now me and my 5-year-old sister would find them wrongfully shot dead in our home… They won’t get to watch me graduate high school, see me walk down the aisle, or even say goodbye.”
In another post, she appeared to blame herself for her sister discovering the bodies: "I can't help but hate myself because I didn't wake up to find them before my 5yo sister had to find her parents like that."
And in one tearful selfie, she writes: "This can't be real. [On the way] to my parents [sic] funeral."
Some family members, however, had already grown suspicious.
Krysten Dowda, James Brock’s niece, told the Daily Mail she was not surprised when Patrick was arrested.
“She fake cried at the funeral," Dowda said. "The story kept changing. The pieces just weren’t making sense.”
Dowda recalled sitting in the front row during the eulogy and thinking: "Am I actually witnessing the person who murdered them, standing up here in front of everyone?"
The sheriff’s office stated that the investigation remains active, and additional arrests may still be made. “The pursuit of justice does not end today,” Hulsey said.
Patrick remains in custody and is being charged as an adult.
Anyone with further information is urged to contact the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
us6 min(s) read
Published 09:49 11 Jul 2025 GMT
A 17-year-old Georgia girl accused of shooting her mother and stepfather dead delivered a tearful eulogy at their funeral, leading people to suspect her of the murders.
Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday – months after Kristin Brock, 41, and her husband James, 45, were found with fatal gunshot wounds at their home in Carrollton, 45 miles west of Atlanta, on February 20, per NBC News.
The couple was found dead inside their home at 1531 Tyus Road near Carrollton, about 55 miles west of Atlanta. They were “deceased from apparent gunshot wounds,” the sheriff said.
The Carroll County Sheriff's Office confirmed the high school student, escorted by her father, turned herself in to police this week after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Patrick, who was 16 at the time of the slayings, is facing two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault, and has been charged as an adult.
Authorities said "mountains of physical and digital evidence" led to Patrick being charged – including her emotional speech at her parents' funeral.
"From the very moment the 911 call was received, a relentless investigation began, one that would span months, consume thousands of hours, and require the full weight of local and federal law enforcement partnerships," according to the county.
"While the case has not remained in the public spotlight in recent months, this investigation has never gone silent."
Speaking to the Daily Mail, James Brock's niece, Krysten Dowda, said she was "not surprised" when Patrick was arrested, because "she fake cried at the funeral."
Dowda said suspicions began to arise when Patrick started sharing details about the tragic incident on social media.
"She reached out to everyone in her life and on the internet and her story changed," Dowda told Daily Mail. "The main thing… how do you not hear multiple gunshots in a small house?"
Dowda added: "The pieces just weren't making sense." She said: "The feeling of being at a funeral to say goodbye to someone you loved and thinking to yourself, 'am I actually witnessing the person that murdered them, standing up here in front of everyone and fake crying about them?' 'Does anyone else see this person doing a crying voice but never shed a single tear?'"
In the footage, Patrick, dressed in a pale blue mini dress, is seen taking to the lectern during the March 8 afternoon service at the Catalyst church in Carrollton, where the Brocks were active members.
"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Sarah, and I am Kristen Brock's daughter and James Brock's stepdaughter," Patrick said.
"This isn't easy… I am really happy I get to do this but just bear with me because I stutter a lot. I just wanted to say goodbye to my mom and James since we never got the chance to."
Addressing her mother and stepfather directly, she added: "I was so used to you guys always being here that I…never would have thought that y'all would not be here and I didn't have a single clue about how much I needed y'all until now."
Patrick paid tributes to her mother and stepfather, thanking Brock "for all the life lessons you taught me" and praising her mom as a "beautiful kind soul with so much gratitude."
Referring to her stepfather's congestive heart failure, she said: "Your heart will be finally healed in heaven and none of y'all will be in any pain anymore. Although that gives me so much comfort, your life was not supposed to end there."
Turning to her mother, she said: "Everything we went through does not define the kind of person or the kind of mother you were. You were a beautiful kind soul with so much gratitude and… you taught me so many life lessons."
Patrick read from a May 2018 letter her mother wrote to Brock: "Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength."
She continued: "You can't always choose the music that life plays… but you can choose how to dance to it. She was always dancing to her own beat, LOL," adding, "and keep in mind she wrote that herself," before laughing.
Patrick read further: "Eventually all the pieces fall into place, but until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moment and know that everything happens for a reason. I can choose to let it define me, confine me, outshine or I can choose to move on and leave it behind me. Always, Kristen Brock."
She urged mourners to remember her mother and stepfather "for who they were and not what happened to them," saying: "I may always and will always be her sunshine and she will always be my star from up above. I know at nighttime I can go and look at momma and Jamey in the sky, and gladly they will save me a seat in heaven like they saved a seat for me in this very church."
Patrick added: "Although there's nothing we can do to bring them back, we still have control over how we treat people with us today," and told listeners, "just listen because you never know when it's somebody's time to go."
She concluded: "Jamey and all would thank you too. I love you guys and so did they, I'm sorry."
Dowda recalled: "She was sorry I lost Jamey," adding: "[I was] so mad, I didn't really even acknowledge her after just watching her fake cry in front of everyone. I left the funeral immediately after."
Dowda said she is speaking out "because people want to bully us [saying] she's 'just a little girl' and I want to make clear a monster can be a little girl in a dress."
Sharing a post by Carroll County Sheriff's Office about Patrick's arrest, Dowda wrote: "I sat front row at their funerals as this little b***h stood up in front of everyone and faked cried about how much she missed Jamey and Kristen. So now everyone can get a front row seat to her mugshot for MURDERING her own mother and stepfather. I saw right through you. Enjoy prison!"
Leading the police press conference, Carroll County communications director Ashley Hulsey said: "Mountains of evidence have gotten us here today. The pursuit of justice does not end today... It is very possible that because this remains an open and ongoing investigation that more arrests and charges could be made."
Hulsey said a motive has yet to be determined, adding: "We don't know what goes through the mind of a child who wants to harm their parents. She's 17. She's kind of been out on her own. She's lived with different family members and moved all over the place."
Patrick's little half-sister was the first to find her parents dead in their bed, before she alerted Patrick, who was in the home that night, and called 911. There were no signs of forced entry in the home and nothing had been taken.
us3 min(s) read
Published 16:15 10 Feb 2023 GMT
A Massachusetts mom charged over the deaths of her three children allegedly said she was "unable to express any emotion" before the tragic incident.
Lindsay Clancy made headlines last month following the deaths of her three children.
It has since been reported that on January 24, the mom had been "happy" and "smiling" throughout the day, according to her husband, Patrick Clancy. The Plymouth District Court heard earlier this week how the mom had built a snowman with five-year-old daughter Cora and three-year-old son Dawson, and texted photos to the kids' grandmother.
However, after Lindsay asked Patrick to leave the family home to pick up some food and medicine, the father returned to find the two children and their seven-month-old brother Callan in the basement. They had reportedly been strangled with exercise bands.
Lindsay was found in the backyard after reportedly attempting to take her own life by leaping out of a second-story window, per NBC News.
After Patrick called 911, the three children were rushed to the hospital. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead later that evening, and baby Callan sadly succumbed to his injuries a few days later.
PEOPLE reports that Lindsay is still paralyzed from the waist down. After being charged with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the mom pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, Lindsay's defense attorney Kevin Reddington told the court about the mom's mental well-being prior to the tragedy, and claimed that the former nurse had "been unable to express any happiness, or sadness, or cry" in the weeks leading up to the children's deaths.
Reddington said that the mom had been prescribed "a number of medications" by doctors for postpartum depression, and even contended that Lindsay may have been suffering from "possible postpartum psychosis".
The attorney then went on to claim that "about a month or two ago", Lindsay had said, "I just wish that I could feel something", as she reportedly battled with depression and anxiety - which Reddington argues could have been exacerbated by her medication.
A GoFundMe for Patrick currently stands at over $1 million as he faces medical bills and funeral costs.
In a statement shared on the fundraiser, he revealed that he has forgiven his wife, and asks that others do the same.
Due to Lindsey's medical condition, a judge has not set monetary bail, but has ordered that she remain in hospital until medically cleared.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
us3 min(s) read
Published 14:20 07 Jan 2025 GMT