The family of fourteen-year-old Kylee Clark is pleading for clarity and justice after the special needs teen died last summer under circumstances that have left loved ones devastated and searching for answers. Kylee’s mother, Vangie Averhart, thirty-seven, of Ferndale, is now charged with murder and first-degree child abuse in connection with her daughter’s death.
For relatives who once trusted her, the accusations have stirred anger and disbelief. Kylee was rushed to Henry Ford St. John Hospital on July 7, 2025, and doctors removed part of her skull to relieve intense swelling. The teen, who was autistic, nonverbal, and diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, never regained consciousness. She died five days later on July 12.
Her family kept her on life support for several days, hoping for a recovery that never came. “Kylee’s mother lied right from the get-go about pretty much everything. She’s just rotten,” said Kylee’s great-uncle Jeffrey Clark. “I mean, it’s her own flesh and blood.” He said the family suspected early on that the explanations they were given did not make sense, and told local NBC.
They had already noticed in the months before Kylee’s death that something “didn’t seem right.” Kylee weighed about sixty pounds and depended entirely on the adults around her. Clark described her as a gentle and joyful child who loved simple pleasures and was often smiling despite her challenges. Her father had been trying to secure custody during the summer and had become increasingly concerned about her care.
“This happened right after he informed [Vangie] of that,” Clark said. “[Vangie] said, ‘You can have her. I don’t want her.’” The family said Averhart changed her account of what happened several times. At first, she told police that Kylee choked on a sandwich. “Then she changed it to a banana, and then she blamed it on her boyfriend,” Clark said. “I mean, we don’t even really know if this really happened in Detroit because she lives in Ferndale.”
Authorities later uncovered disturbing details about Kylee’s living conditions. Investigators learned the teen had been kept in a locked room, and the injuries to the back of her head were so severe they resembled trauma from a serious car crash. Medical records show she died from severe blunt force trauma, the Metro Detroit News reported.
Clark said the cruelty of the situation is almost impossible to grasp. “It’s hard to fathom,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s some kind of vindictive thing on her part or if she’s just pure evil.” Kylee’s family fears they may never learn the full truth about what she endured, but they remain committed to fighting for answers. They remember her as “a bright light” and say their focus now is ensuring she receives justice for the life cut far too short.