Girl, 6, Found Buried After Years; Parents Knew

A Kansas father has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and four years of probation following his conviction in connection with the 2020 murder of his adopted 6-year-old daughter. Joseph Schroer's wife, Crystina Schroer, is currently serving a 17-year sentence after pleading no contest to charges including second-degree murder and child abuse. The child's decomposed remains were discovered buried in the couple's backyard in September 2024, four years after she was believed to have been killed.

Authorities revealed that Crystina Schroer murdered the child, identified as Natalie Garcia and later renamed Kennedy Schroer, by suffocating her. Evidence indicated that Crystina then buried the child's body in a double-bagged trash bag in the backyard, near the master bedroom where the family continued to reside. While Joseph claimed ignorance of the murder, prosecutors argued he actively participated in the ongoing torture of other children and committed Medicaid fraud.

Investigators learned from other children in the home that Crystina routinely starved and tortured Kennedy and her siblings, even using surveillance cameras to monitor them. Prosecutors suggested Crystina viewed the children primarily as a source of income. Despite Joseph Schroer's claims, his conviction stemmed from his role in the continued abuse of other children and accepting Medicaid payments while aware of the girl's death.