Mum ‘let daughter drink herself to death’ as teen discovered beside 173 empty vodka bottles

A mum has been charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors allege she supplied alcohol and ignored pleas for help before her 16-year-old daughter was found dead

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A mum has been charged over the death of her teenage daughter after prosecutors said the 16-year-old died in an alcohol-related incident in March.

Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, is centred on a 25-page police arrest affidavit from Arvada Police Department which alleges years of systematic abuse and medical neglect leading to the death of her 16-year-old daughter, Grace Ryan.

Investigators say extensive digital evidence, including text messages and device records, sets out a detailed timeline of isolation, alcohol supply and repeated pleas for help. Court papers claim Grace was taken out of a local public high school in April 2025 and moved to online learning.

By March 2026, she had completed only one semester of ninth grade and, according to the affidavit, had not left the house or taken part in outside activities for months. A forensic examination of the pair’s phones is said to show that by September 2025 mother and daughter were consuming alcohol and marijuana together, with texts discussing how to obtain alcohol on an almost daily basis.

Investigators say messages suggest Ryan frequently organised alcohol to be delivered to the house and tried to hide her daughter’s drinking from the girl’s father, who mostly lived in the property’s basement, the district attorney’s office said, 9 News reported.

The media release states: “The victim’s documented communication with Ryan shows that in the months leading up to her death she was suffering from significant physical health concerns, due to the alcohol Ryan was allegedly providing her. The messages describe episodes of vomiting blood, difficulty eating, difficulty walking, and the use of diapers due to symptoms associated with excessive alcohol consumption.”

“I’m in so much pain”

On March 4, five days before she died, Grace allegedly texted her mother: “I’m in so much pain I can’t keep doing this. Do something.

“If you’re going to do this to me you need to take me to a hospital.” She then asked: “Why did you ask me to get more?”

Investigators say her mother did not seek medical help, The Denver Post reported. Police allege Grace sent a final message at 10.07pm on March 8 from an iPad.

When further messages went unanswered, the affidavit claims Gretchen Ryan still did not check on her daughter or call emergency services, with a 999 call not placed until 8.15am the following morning, more than 10 hours later. First responders found Grace dead on the bathroom floor next to her iPad, the documents say.

In her bedroom, investigators reportedly discovered 173 empty bottles of hard liquor and vodka hidden under the bed and in the wardrobe. A preliminary post-mortem examination found Grace had an abnormally fatty liver, described as highly unusual for a 16-year-old, consistent with long-term alcohol use.

Her death was ruled as aspiration pneumonia brought on by chronic alcohol consumption, which prosecutors say suppressed her natural gag and cough reflex. In police interviews, Gretchen Ryan is said to have repeatedly blamed herself for her daughter’s death, according to the 25-page arrest affidavit, as per The Denver Post.

“I’m committing child abuse”

“I feel like I killed her,” the 55-year-old told officers. Records say Ryan, who described herself as an alcoholic, voiced the same belief several times both before and after the teenager died.

The affidavit alleges this was alongside her continuing to ensure there was a ready supply of alcohol at home and helping her daughter conceal both of their drinking from Grace’s father. In a series of unanswered texts sent in January, Ryan wrote: “I’m committing child abuse and murder”, adding: “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!!!’nnm Respond!!!!!!!!!! Do you want to die?

“If (redacted) saw you he’d freak out. Quit ignoring me.”

In other messages, Ryan said she “tried to be the cool (redacted) and (expletived) up.” Although the preliminary autopsy listed the death as “natural” in the context of voluntary consumption, prosecutors have charged Gretchen Ryan with second-degree murder, alleging she fuelled her daughter’s addiction and failed to obtain medical care.

She is being held in Jefferson County on a $500,000 (£375,000) cash-only bond, with a preliminary hearing listed for June 17.

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