Kansas Mother Sentenced to 17 Years for Suffocating Adopted 6-Year-Old Daughter and Hiding Her Body for Four Years
ROSE HILL, KANSAS — A 50-year-old Kansas woman has been sentenced to over 17 years in prison for the horrific death of her 6-year-old adopted daughter, whose remains were found buried behind the family’s home nearly four years after she was killed.
Crystina Elizabeth Schroer pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, child abuse, making false information, and welfare fraud in the death of Kennedy Schroer, authorities said.
Child’s Body Found Four Years After Her Death
The case came to light in September 2024, when Rose Hill police responded to the Schroer home following Crystina’s suicide attempt. During questioning, Schroer confessed that her daughter Kennedy had died years earlier in late 2020, saying, “My life is over, and no one will look at me the same.”
Schroer claimed that Kennedy had been found unconscious inside a box after a fight among her children and that she later buried the child’s body in a 23-inch-deep grave behind their home.
Investigators used cadaver dogs and excavation equipment to search the overgrown property, eventually uncovering Kennedy’s remains inside a trash bag. DNA testing later confirmed her identity.
Horrifying Details Emerge from the Investigation
A 44-page affidavit revealed disturbing details about the girl’s final moments. According to interviews with one of the Schroers’ other children, Crystina forced Kennedy into a storage container as punishment for moving at night.
The sister said she could hear Kennedy making faint noises and recalled her mother asking, “Is she still making noises?” before covering the box with blankets and a crib. When the mother returned, Kennedy was silent — her body blue and lifeless.
Schroer allegedly told her family that the state had taken Kennedy back into custody, concealing the truth for years.
Adopted Child’s Death and Years of Deception
Kennedy was born Natalie Garcia in 2014 and was adopted by the Schroers in November 2018 after her biological parents relinquished custody. Authorities believe she was killed in late 2020, shortly after her sixth birthday.
After Kennedy’s death, investigators found the couple continued to collect more than $23,000 in Medicaid benefits for the child. The FBI, IRS, and Wichita’s Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit joined the multi-agency investigation, which spanned over 2,000 hours.
Father Still Awaits Sentencing
Crystina’s husband, Joseph Schroer, faces child endangerment charges and is set to be sentenced on December 3. All five surviving children — three biological and two adopted — have since been placed in state custody.
Authorities described Kennedy as “a beautiful child with an infectious smile” and said her case underscores the importance of follow-up in child welfare and adoption oversight.
As Rose Hill continues to grapple with the tragedy, investigators hope Kennedy’s story will strengthen child protection systems statewide. For ongoing updates on criminal cases and justice news across the Midwest, visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com.