Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, of Arvada, Colorado, faces a second-degree murder charge after her teenage daughter, Grace Elizabeth Ryan, was found dead on March 9 at the family home — the result, prosecutors allege, of chronic alcohol consumption that the mother actively supplied, concealed, and continued even as the girl's health visibly collapsed. Investigators found 173 empty bottles of vodka and other hard liquor hidden under the teen's bed and inside her bedroom closet.
The Charges and What Authorities Found
The First Judicial District Attorney's Office announced the charges and outlined a pattern of behavior stretching back to at least September 2025. Text messages between mother and daughter show the two discussed drinking and purchasing alcohol on a near-daily basis beginning that month. Prosecutors say Ryan arranged regular alcohol deliveries to the home and took deliberate steps to hide her daughter's consumption from the girl's father, who lived primarily in the basement of the same residence.
Grace Ryan's cause of death was determined to be aspiration pneumonia related to chronic alcohol use. A preliminary autopsy found an abnormally fatty liver — a condition medical professionals said indicated prolonged alcohol consumption, unusual for a person her age.
A Documented Deterioration Ryan Ignored
The case turns on what prosecutors say Ryan knew and chose not to act on. Text messages detail episodes of blood vomiting, difficulty eating, difficulty walking, and the use of diapers — all symptoms authorities attribute to Grace's level of drinking. The teen repeatedly expressed fear that she would die and raised her health concerns directly with her mother. The night before she was found unresponsive, she texted Ryan to say she was not feeling well.
Despite those messages, Ryan continued supplying alcohol. Prosecutors say the two frequently drank and smoked marijuana together.
Grace Ryan's Isolation in Her Final Months
Grace was un-enrolled from her high school in April 2025 and shifted to online classes. At 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. Authorities received a report of an unresponsive female before finding her dead at the Arvada home on March 9.
Gretchen Leanne Ryan is currently held in Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.