Mom Charged After Daughter, 16, Allegedly Drank Herself to Death

A mother has been charged in connection with the death of her 16-year-old daughter, Grace Elizabeth Ryan, who allegedly died from excessive alcohol consumption. Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, faces charges related to her daughter's death, which occurred on March 9 in Arvada. Authorities found 173 empty alcohol bottles hidden in the teen's bedroom.

Preliminary autopsy results indicated the teen had a fatty liver, suggesting prolonged alcohol intake. Her cause of death was determined to be aspiration pneumonia related to chronic alcohol use. Prosecutors allege that Ryan facilitated her daughter's drinking, arranging alcohol deliveries and hiding the consumption from her father. Text messages revealed discussions about drinking and purchasing alcohol almost daily starting in September 2025.

Despite the daughter's deteriorating physical health, evidenced by text messages detailing vomiting, difficulty eating and walking, and use of diapers, Ryan reportedly continued to enable the drinking. The teen had expressed fears of dying to her mother. She had also been unenrolled from school in April 2025 to attend online classes, completing only one semester of ninth grade.