DETROIT – A Ferndale woman was sentenced on Friday to 10-20 years in prison in connection to the 2025 death of her teen daughter with special needs.
Vangie Renee Averhart, 37, was charged in October with felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the case — roughly three months after 14-year-old Kylee Clark, who was autistic, nonverbal and diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, died from severe blunt-force trauma to her head.
Family members allege that Kylee’s mother lied to police and hospital staff about the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death, first reportedly saying that Kylee died from choking on a sandwich.
“Then she changed it to a banana, and then she blamed it on her boyfriend,” said Kylee’s great-uncle, Jeffrey Clark, who referred to Kylee as ‘a bright light’ on Earth.
Clark told Local 4 in November that Kylee’s father had been trying to gain custody of her at the time, and had grown increasingly worried about his daughter’s well-being.
“This happened right after he informed [Averhart] of that,” Clark said. “[Averhart] said, ‘You can have her. I don’t want her.’”
Family members also say they learned after her death that Kylee had been living in a locked room while under her mother’s care.
“It’s hard to fathom,” Clark said. “I don’t know if that’s some kind of vindictive thing on her part or if she’s just pure evil.”
Kylee, who relied entirely on caregivers and weighed only about 60 pounds, was pronounced dead in the hospital on July 12, 2025 — five days after sustaining her injuries. Family members say she was on life support during that time, but never woke up.
“She was just a happy little girl — she loved the simple things,” Clark said of his great-niece. “She was always smiling.”
Averhart pleaded no contest last month to first-degree child abuse in 3rd Circuit Court as part of a plea agreement, which led to the dismissal of the felony murder charge.
She received 287 days credit for time already served and is required to pay approximately $2,000 in court fees.
Clark told Local 4 he fears Kylee’s family may never know the full truth about what happened to her, or how long she may have suffered.