Munchhausen mom guilty of child abuse
Nov. 18—Federal jurors Thursday evening found a mother guilty of child abuse by faking her son's illness for years to collect money from fundraisers to help him.
Kasie Keys had been charged with eight counts: six counts of child abuse and two counts of child neglect. Court records indicate Mary Stockette, who specializes in child abuse pediatrics, said Keys is likely suffering from Munchhausen by proxy syndrome, a serious mental illness that includes a compulsive desire for attention and material goods.
The federal case involved the Park Hill mother who allegedly faked her son's illnesses through years of abuse, and collected money from fundraisers.
The trial lasted roughly six days before jurors reached a verdict. The court declared a mistrial for counts 1, 3, 5, and 6.
Count 1 asserted that Keys causing harm to her son by fabricating a story that he was terminally ill to obtain end-of-life hospice care for him. Count 3 accused Keys of causing harm to the boy by executing a "Do Not Resuscitate" order for him, and count 4 was due to Keys' delaying the removal of the boy's Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). Count 6 stated Keys failed to provide proper maintenance to the TPN.
Keys was convicted for refusing hospital care for her son and threatening harm to his health, safety, and welfare.
Keys was arrested in August 2019 for child abuse after medical professionals noticed her son got healthier when he wasn't in her care. The boy was born in 2009, and according to court records, he was healthy at that time.
After continued bouts of illness, the child was removed from the home and hospitalized. After the boy's father got full custody, he was no longer dependent on a feeding tube or a wheelchair. He was able to eat solid foods without complications and is normally active for a boy of his age.
A warrant was initially issued for Keys' arrest, and she was booked in the Cherokee County Detention Center. The state dismissed Keys' case due to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling of McGirt v. Oklahoma in 2021, but the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma picked it up. The victim is a tribal member although Keys is not, according to court documents.
Over the summer, the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back part of McGirt, ruling in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta that state had concurrent jurisdiction in cases wherein a non-Native commits a crime against a Native, even if the crime took place on the reservation. This technicality could affect the case, although if the case is dismissed, District Attorney Jack Thorp's office would more than likely refile in district court. The judge has 30 days to rule on that matter.
Keys' case involved more than 44,000 pages of medical records, according to court documents.
