A Colorado woman is facing a second-degree Murder charge after prosecutors alleged she repeatedly supplied Alcohol to her teenage daughter, whose death was linked to chronic Alcohol use.
According to Fox News, the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced that 55-year-old Gretchen Leanne Ryan has been charged in connection with the death of her 16-year-old daughter, Grace Elizabeth Ryan.
The teen was found unresponsive at her Arvada home on March 9 after authorities received a report of a medical emergency.
Investigators said an initial autopsy revealed Grace had an unusually fatty liver for someone her age, a condition medical professionals believed pointed to prolonged Alcohol abuse. Her death was later ruled to have been caused by aspiration pneumonia related to chronic Alcohol use.
According to prosecutors, the investigation uncovered months of text messages showing the mother and daughter regularly discussed drinking Alcohol and smoking marijuana together.
Beginning in September 2025, the messages allegedly documented frequent conversations about buying Alcohol and arranging deliveries to the home.
Authorities said the communications also indicated Ryan concealed her daughter’s drinking from the teen’s father, who primarily lived in the basement of the residence.
Prosecutors allege Ryan continued providing Alcohol even after her daughter experienced severe health problems. Text messages described episodes of vomiting blood, difficulty eating, trouble walking and the need to wear diapers because of complications tied to excessive drinking.
Investigators said Grace repeatedly told her mother she feared she was dying and voiced concerns about her declining health. The night before her death, she sent additional text messages saying she was not feeling well.
During a search of the home, detectives discovered 173 empty liquor bottles hidden beneath the teenager’s bed and inside a bedroom closet. The collection included multiple brands and sizes of vodka and other hard liquor, according to the district attorney’s office.
Police also said Grace had been withdrawn from her high school in April 2025 and transitioned to online education. By the time of her death, she had completed only one online semester of ninth grade and had not participated in activities outside the home for several months.
Ryan was booked into the Jefferson County Jail, where she is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond. The criminal case will move forward in Colorado court as prosecutors seek to prove the allegations against her.