Authorities in Kansas arrested a couple accused of murdering their adopted 6-year-old daughter in 2020 and burying her in a makeshift grave in their yard.
Kennedy Schroer’s death went unnoticed by authorities for four years until police in Rose Hill, a town of 4,000 people southeast of Wichita, discovered her death in September, according to a press release. Her adoptive parents, Crystina Elizabeth Schroer, 50, and Joseph Shane Schroer, 53, are currently in prison.
Crystina Schroer is accused of murder, four counts each of child abuse, torture, and forgery, aggravated kidnapping, felony theft, Medicaid fraud, and desecration of a corpse.
Her husband is charged with child abuse, torture, felony theft, Medicaid fraud, interfering with law enforcement, and liability for the crimes of others.
Rose Hill Police Chief Taylor Parlier told Law&Crime that the investigation started around 7:30 p.m. On September 10, while officers were responding to the Schroer home in the 1400 block of North Meeker Court, someone experienced a mental health crisis.
While there, they discovered that someone could be buried in the backyard. Cops arrived at the home early the next day and began their search.
They encountered some difficulties right away. The vegetation was so dense that they had to use a bush whacker to clear the way for cadaver dogs to search the area. Once completed, the dogs alerted investigators to potential areas of interest.
After hours of forensic investigation, cops discovered the remains of a young girl in a trash bag in a makeshift grave about 2 feet deep. A few weeks later, a DNA test confirmed that the body was Kennedy’s.
On July 14, 2014, detectives discovered Kennedy was born Natalie Garcia. Her birth parents gave up their rights to the state, and she was put up for adoption. The Schroers adopted her in November 2018 and changed her name. Police suspect she was suffocated to death in late 2020. Her death was ruled homicide.
“She was a beautiful child, with an infectious smile,” according to the officers.
Since the body was discovered, police have spent approximately 2,000 hours developing a case against the Schroers, collaborating with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Wichita’s Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit.
“This case was built through the development of timelines spanning more than four years, which is the primary reason for the length of the investigation,” the lawmen wrote.
Investigators also claim that the suspect parents were receiving Medicaid payments following Kennedy’s death. The parents had three biological and two adopted children. Since the discovery of Kennedy’s body, the state has taken custody of all of his surviving children.
Some unanswered questions, such as why it took four years for authorities to discover a child had been murdered and buried in the backyard, will be revealed once the probable cause arrest affidavit is released after the Schroers are formally charged, Parlier, the police chief, explained.
Both are being held without bond at the Butler County Jail. They are due to appear before a judge on Wednesday.
