Kansas – In a devastating case that horrified Kansas residents, new court developments have brought long‑awaited resolution in the death of 6‑year‑old Kennedy S., whose remains were discovered buried in the backyard of her adoptive parents’ home four years after authorities say she was suffocated. Her adoptive mother, Crystina S., has now been sentenced, while her husband awaits his sentence as the courts bring final accountability to a crime that went unnoticed for years.
Crystina, now 50, was sentenced on Monday to more than 17 years in prison after pleading no contest in August to second-degree murder, child abuse, making false information, and welfare fraud. She originally faced a first-degree murder charge, which was reduced under the plea agreement. Her husband, Joseph S., is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3 for child endangerment, the remaining charge he faces in connection with Kennedy’s death. The sentencing comes nearly four years after Kennedy—born in 2014 and adopted by the couple in 2018—was killed in what authorities now describe as prolonged abuse, confinement, and forced suffocation at the hands of her adoptive mother.
The case broke open on September 10, 2024, when police responded to the couple’s residence after Crystina attempted suicide. During the response, she told officers that her “life was over” and made statements that led police to search the property. The next morning, officers returned with cadaver dogs, clearing the overgrown yard before the animals could work effectively. Hours into the search, investigators uncovered a trash bag buried in a 23‑inch‑deep grave. Inside were the remains of a small child. DNA later confirmed the body as Kennedy.
According to the 44‑page arrest affidavit, Crystina eventually admitted that Kennedy died in late 2020. She first claimed she discovered Kennedy “unconscious and without a pulse” inside a box used to store a crib, but the investigation revealed far more disturbing details. During interviews, one of the children disclosed that Crystina routinely forced the kids to sleep in storage container boxes if they “moved during the night.” On the night Kennedy died, Crystina allegedly forced her into one of these boxes after hearing her make noise. The child witness said Crystina placed blankets and a crib on top of the box, essentially trapping her inside.
According to the affidavit, when Crystina returned later and opened the box, Kennedy “fell out” and was blue. The sister never saw her again. Instead of calling for help, Crystina drove around with Kennedy’s body before burying her in the backyard. She then told relatives and others that the state had taken the child back due to behavioral issues. Kennedy’s death was ruled a homicide by suffocation, and her body showed signs consistent with prior mistreatment.
Law enforcement, including the FBI, IRS, and Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit, spent over 2,000 hours reconstructing timelines and conducting interviews. Investigators also discovered that the couple continued to collect over $23,000 in Medicaid payments for Kennedy after her death, which contributed to the welfare fraud charges. The couple’s three biological children and two adopted children have since been removed from the home and placed in state custody. Police described Kennedy as “a beautiful child, with an infectious smile,” expressing sorrow that no one detected—or acted on—the danger she was in.
With Crystina now sentenced to more than 17 years and Joseph awaiting sentencing on December 3, authorities say they are closer to securing full accountability for Kennedy’s death. The community, shaken by the revelations, continues to grapple with the fact that a child lived and died in silence, hidden behind closed doors. The long investigation and the final sentencing underscore what detectives called one of the most complex and heartbreaking cases in the county’s history: a crime buried for years, finally brought into the light.
