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Mother arrested following investigation of March child death

Kaylee Ann Messerly, 36, was arrested Friday morning on two felony warrants following the death of her 18-month old daughter in early March, and charged with felony child abuse resulting in death, and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

The Moffat County Sheriff’s Office and the Investigations Division issued an arrest warrant for Messerly on Friday morning following a nearly month-long investigation into the death of the 18-month-old girl in the county following a search for Messerly and her two young children March 11 in the unincorporated area of Moffat County near County Road 54.

Around 8 a.m. March 11, the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a suspicious vehicle near County Road 54, a road that is not frequently traveled during wintertime.



Kaylee Ann Messerly
Courtesy photo

Deputies were dispatched to the area and observed the vehicle on a service road south of County Road 54. The vehicle was unoccupied and appeared to be stuck in the mud and snow on the side of the road, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Following the initial search, personnel and resources were immediately mobilized to search the area. Those resources included the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Moffat County Search & Rescue and an aerial resource provided by Mountain Air Spray, according to to Sheriff KC Hume.



Messerly and her 3-year-old were found alive but suffering from environmental exposure injuries. Messerly’s 18-month-old daughter was found deceased.

Messerly and her 3-year-old were immediately transported by tracked UTV from the scene to an awaiting Memorial Regional Health EMS ambulance, and were then transported to Memorial Regional Health in Craig by ground.

According to the arrest warrant for Messerly, she tested positive for methamphetamines, amphetamines and THC while she was being treated for frostbite at MRH. Her 3-year-old had extreme frostbite resulting in amputation of the child’s feet, the arrest warrant states.

She was booked into Moffat County Jail on Friday morning on felony charges of child abuse resulting in death, and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

Late Friday, Moffat County Judge Brittany Schneider issued a $50,000 bond for Messerly.

Messerly was recently released from the hospital, and chose to act as her own attorney and not accept assistance from the Public Defender’s office.

Previously, Messerly was in Moffat County Court on March 8, in which she pleaded not guilty to two felonies and a traffic charge, according to online court records. That case was scheduled to go to trial in June.

She was released from Moffat County Jail Friday, and can’t leave Colorado, complying with her protection orders.

Messerly is due back in court Thursday, April 15 at 8:30 a.m.

Managing Editor Joshua Carney can be reached at 970-875-1790 or jcarney@craigdailypress.com.


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