Colorado mother charged with murder after 173 bottles found in room
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A Colorado mother has been charged in the death of her 16-year-old daughter, who prosecutors say drank herself to death and kept 173 empty bottles of alcohol in her bedroom, authorities announced.
Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, is charged with second-degree murder, according to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. An obituary identified her daughter as Grace Elizabeth Ryan.
The younger Ryan was found dead in his Arvada home on March 9 after authorities received a report that a woman was unresponsive.
Initial autopsy findings revealed that the teenager had an abnormally fatty liver for someone his age; medical experts believed this indicated long-term alcohol consumption. The cause of death was determined to be aspiration pneumonia due to chronic alcohol use.
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Gretchen Leanne Ryan is accused of killing her teenage daughter, who authorities say drank her to death and was found with 173 empty alcohol bottles in her bedroom. (Getty Images; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
Prosecutors said the mother and daughter frequently smoked marijuana together and drank heavily. According to authorities, starting in September 2025, the two discussed buying and drinking alcohol almost daily via text message.
“Communication indicates that Ryan arranged for regular alcohol deliveries to the home and took steps to conceal the victim’s alcohol use from his father, who lived primarily in the basement of the home,” the DA’s office said in a news release. he said.
According to the messages, Ryan continued to supply his daughter with alcohol despite the teen’s significant physical health problems. The communications described episodes of vomiting blood, difficulty eating, difficulty walking, and diaper use due to symptoms associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
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During the investigation, police said they found bottles of vodka and other hard liquor of various brands and sizes in the girl’s room. (Jeff Greenberg/Educational Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
Authorities said young Ryan, who was aware of his excessive drinking, feared he was dying and repeatedly expressed concerns about his health to his mother.
It was revealed that in text messages sent to his mother the night before his death, the young man said he was not feeling well.
During their investigation, detectives found 173 empty alcohol bottles hidden in the teenager’s bedroom, under his bed and in a closet, the prosecutor’s office said.
The bottles contained vodka and other hard liquors of various brands and sizes.
The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office has charged a Colorado mother with the death of her daughter after drinking excessively. (First Judicial District Prosecutor’s Office)
Police said the teenager was disenrolled from the high school in April 2025 to attend online classes due to alcohol consumption.
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At the time of his death, he had completed only one online semester of ninth grade and had not participated in activities outside the home for several months.
Ryan is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $500,000 cash bond.
