ROSE HILL, KS — A small Kansas community is grappling with shock and sorrow following the sentencing of a woman to 17 years in prison for the death of her young adopted daughter. The child’s remains were unearthed in the backyard of their family home, drawing a tragic close to a case that began nearly four years after her death.
Crystina Elizabeth Schroer, 50, faced justice this week in Butler County District Court. She entered a no contest plea to charges including second-degree murder and child abuse, leading to the resolution of a heart-wrenching case that began with her own admission of a horrific act.
The incident surfaced in September 2024 when police were summoned to the Schroer household due to Crystina’s attempted suicide. Her distressed statements to first responders prompted a thorough search of the residence. The ensuing investigation was both rapid and extensive, highlighting the dedicated work of local law enforcement.
Challenges awaited detectives as they navigated the overgrown property, but with the assistance of cadaver dogs, they found the remains of six-year-old Kennedy Schroer. Originally named Natalie Garcia at birth in 2014, she was adopted by the Schroers in November 2018. Her body, discovered encased in a trash bag and buried approximately two feet underground, was later identified through DNA testing.
Authorities concluded that Kennedy died in late 2020, and her death was ruled a homicide by suffocation. This grim discovery came after Crystina Schroer concocted a tale of confusion and despair, originally claiming that she found Kennedy unresponsive and attempted resuscitation before burying her secretly.
Further investigation revealed chilling details about the household dynamics. Interviews with Kennedy’s siblings painted a picture of abuse, where the children were reportedly confined to a storage box as punishment. On the day of Kennedy’s demise, she was allegedly placed in such a box, with heavy items piled atop, leading to her suffocation.
In addition to the immediate circumstances surrounding Kennedy’s death, Crystina Schroer also engaged in deceit regarding her daughter’s whereabouts, telling relatives and acquaintances that Kennedy had been reclaimed by state authorities due to behavioral issues. Over the subsequent years, the Schroers improperly received over $23,000 in Medicaid payments intended for Kennedy’s care.
This extensive case demanded nearly two thousand hours of investigative work, involving coordination with multiple agencies to piece together the events spanning more than four years leading to Kennedy’s death.
The case’s implications extended to Joseph Schroer, Crystina’s husband, who awaits sentencing in December on child endangerment charges. Meanwhile, the remaining children of the Schroer family, consisting of three biological and one other adopted child, have been placed under state care.
As this small community comes to terms with the severity of this tragedy, it reflects on the life of a girl remembered by many for her infectious smile, now marred by the circumstances of her untimely death. The extensive efforts of law enforcement have provided some semblance of justice, yet the town of Rose Hill continues to seek closure in the wake of this devastating loss.