A Pontiac courtroom decision clears the path for a trial that has shaken the community
Kelli Bryant, a Pontiac mother accused of leaving her three children alone in squalor for years, was found competent to stand trial on Wednesday. The ruling clears the way for a first-degree child abuse trial set for August 24.
Bryant also received a sentence on separate welfare fraud charges during the same hearing. Oakland County Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan sentenced Bryant to two years of probation and ordered her to pay $29,397 in restitution after she pleaded no contest to three counts of welfare fraud.
The charges and the sentence
Bryant was sentenced to serve 112 days in the Oakland County Jail for each of the three welfare fraud counts. She received credit for the time she had already served behind bars.
"Welfare fraud, with the financial damage being over $500, that you be placed on probation for a period of two years. That you serve 112 days in the Oakland County Jail, credit for 112 days," Brennan said during the hearing, according to New Media Detroit.
The welfare fraud case stems from allegations that Bryant continued collecting public assistance benefits for her children while allegedly failing to provide them proper care.
The child abuse allegations
The child abuse charges carry far greater stakes. Bryant faces three counts of first-degree child abuse, which carry a potential maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted, according to New Media Detroit.
Investigators say Bryant left her three children alone in a rental home on Lydia Lane beginning in 2020 or 2021. The children were discovered in February 2025 after a landlord requested a welfare check, reporting that Bryant was behind on rent and had not been seen in months, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
The children were found living in what officials described as filth and squalor. Investigators said the children survived primarily on weekly DoorDash and Instacart deliveries during the years they were allegedly left alone.
What competency means
A competency determination means the court found Bryant capable of understanding the charges against her and assisting in her defense. It does not address whether she was suffering from mental illness at the time of the alleged offenses.
"A competency finding only determines whether you know what you're being charged with and that you are being charged in a court," said attorney and former judge Vonda Evans, who is not involved in the case, according to ClickOnDetroit. "What I do surmise will be an issue are mental health issues that will say she did not, she could not knowingly or intentionally cause this."
The trial ahead
Bryant appeared in court shackled during Wednesday's hearing. She did not speak when asked if she wanted to be heard on the welfare fraud sentence, according to ABC 12.
Bryant remains in the Oakland County Jail pending the outcome of her child abuse trial.
Ron Williams, a neighbor who lives near the apartment where the children were found, told ABC 12 he believes Bryant should be held accountable.
"I think she'll be held accountable for the actions that she took with the kids. I think it's warranted and just gotta wait and see what happens. So, yeah, I think it's a bad situation for the kids and I hope the kids are doing well now," Williams said.
The trial is scheduled for Monday, August 24 in Oakland County Circuit Court.