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Pontiac mom pleads no contest in abandoning kids in deplorable conditions
The saga of Kelli Bryant reached a plea of no contest on Thursday in Oakland County court on charges of child abuse.
FOX 2 - The Pontiac woman accused of leaving her three children to live in squalor pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse Thursday.
As part of Kelli Bryant's plea agreement, she will serve at least six years in prison. The 35-year-old will be sentenced on September 1st.
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"This plea will spare the children from testifying at trial and ensures Bryant remains incarcerated until they are all adults," said Prosecutor Karen McDonald in a statement. "I'm hopeful the children she victimized will continue to have the space and resources to heal from this abhorrent trauma."
Bryant had her parental rights terminated by a judge in April 2026.
In February, 2025, Bryant’s three children were discovered living in squalor — alone — for four years after the landlord of the Pontiac condo requested a welfare check.
Police found a home full of garbage, along with mold and human waste. Inside was a 15-year-old boy and two girls, 12 and 13.
The boy told police they had been living at the home for years and rarely left the apartment.
Kelli Bryant, 34, is charged with three counts of child abuse after authorities said she left abandoned her kids for years in squalor in her Pontiac home.
The children survived on food that had been dropped off on the front porch each week by either Bryant or another stranger.
Investigators said they had no access to toilet paper or personal hygiene items. The sheriff said they were unfamiliar with personal hygiene and didn't even know how to flush a toilet.
What resulted was a long saga of court appearances and mental competency requests, leading to contentious hearings as well as stalling allegations to delay proceedings.
That led to her being jailed by the judge who revoked her bond after Bryant voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility only days before one of the hearings was scheduled.
When Bryant's parent rights were terminated, testimony revealed that the children had been making progress, living in a nurturing environment and going to school.
More Kelli Bryant coverage:
- Pontiac mom jailed after having bond revoked for failing to appear for competency exam
- Pontiac mother accused of leaving children in squalor has parental rights terminated
- Pontiac mom charged with abandoning kids accused of delay tactic in court
- Pontiac mother accused of abandoning her kids pleads no contest to welfare fraud
At the time, prosecutors revealed all three were having struggles with PTSD, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities.
Bryant previously pleaded no contest to welfare fraud in December, 2025. The welfare fraud charges arrived a month after her arrest for allegedly collecting overpayments from the health department.
Kelli Bryant in court
The Source: Information for this report is from the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office and previous coverage.