Colorado mom charged with murder, allegedly faked daughter's illness

DENVER, Colo. (KUSA) – The 2017 death of Olivia Gant, a 7-year-old whose “bucket list” of final wishes evoked heart-touching news stories, wasn’t the result of multiple diseases – it was a murder carried out by her mother, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed Monday.

Kelly Renee Turner, also known as Kelly Gant, faces 13 separate counts – 11 of them felonies, including first-degree murder – in the death of her middle daughter, according to the indictment.

Turner also is accused of defrauding the Medicaid system, two foundations that provide memorable experiences to terminally ill children and hundreds of people who donated to her online fundraising page.

The indictment alleges that she defrauded the Medicaid system of more than $538,000. And it further alleges that she ripped off both a funeral home and a cemetery that handled the girl’s arrangements.

Although the indictment does not make clear the specific cause of Olivia’s death, it notes that Turner withdrew medical care and nourishment in the girl’s final weeks.

In addition, Turner faces a child abuse charge accusing her of endangering another daughter, who is now 11 years old. Turner claimed publicly the girl had cancer – something the girl’s medical records show was not true.