A Colorado mother has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her 16-year-old daughter, who prosecutors say drank herself to death over months of alcohol consumption. Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, faces the murder charge, according to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Her daughter, identified as Grace Elizabeth Ryan, was found dead on March 9 at their Arvada home.
Preliminary autopsy findings revealed the teen had an abnormally fatty liver, which medical professionals believe indicated prolonged alcohol use. Her cause of death was determined to be aspiration pneumonia related to chronic alcohol use. Detectives discovered 173 empty alcohol bottles of various brands and sizes of vodka and other hard liquor hidden in the teen’s bedroom, including under her bed and inside a closet.
Prosecutors stated that the mother and daughter frequently drank together and discussed purchasing alcohol on an almost daily basis via text messages starting in September 2025. The communications suggest Ryan arranged regular alcohol deliveries to the home and took steps to conceal her daughter’s alcohol use from the girl’s father, who primarily lived in the basement.
Text messages indicated Ryan continued to supply her daughter with alcohol despite the teen experiencing significant health issues. These messages detailed episodes of vomiting blood, difficulty eating and walking, and the use of diapers due to symptoms associated with excessive alcohol consumption. The younger Ryan had reportedly expressed fears of dying and concerns about her health to her mother.
The teen had been un-enrolled from high school in April 2025 to attend online classes. At the time of her death, she had completed one online semester of ninth grade and had not participated in outside activities for several months.
Gretchen Leanne Ryan is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.