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Pontiac mother's parental rights terminated by judge
The children never left the condo. Investigators believe they had been living in these deplorable conditions since 2021. Meanwhile, prepared food was dropped off on the front porch once a week.
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Pontiac mother who allegedly abandoned her three kids for years in horrific conditions has had her parental rights terminated.
Big picture view:
In February 2025, community members in Pontiac found three kids living alone in a Pontiac condo. Trash was piled three to four feet high as mold caked the home and human waste littered the floors. There was a non-working toilet and the bathtub filled with feces. No toilet paper, no toothbrushes, and the two girls were sleeping on used pizza boxes.
The children never left the condo. Investigators believe they had been living in these deplorable conditions since 2021. Meanwhile, prepared food was dropped off on the front porch once a week.
The children were discovered during a welfare check after the landlord called police because he hadn’t heard from the mother for two months.
Pontiac mom charged with abandoning kids in squalor, accused of delay tactic in court
The back-and-forth all centered on Kelli Bryant getting a second competency exam in Oakland County court.
Dig deeper:
On Monday, testimony in the courtroom centered around how the children are doing now, and an Oakland County judge ultimately terminated mother Kelli Bryant’s parental rights.
The children are making progress, living in a nurturing environment and going to school. One of them says he hopes someday to be a chef and even has dreams of owning his own restaurant, but there are also a lot of challenges.
In court, testimony revealed the children are having struggles with PTSD, intellectual disabilities, and learning disabilities.