MILFORD, Maine — A Maine mother has pleaded guilty to manslaughter more than a year after her 3-year-old daughter and family dog were found dead inside a vehicle in a Milford parking lot.

Kelly Sanders Brown, 41, entered guilty pleas Monday, Aug. 31, to manslaughter of a family or household member and aggravated animal cruelty, according to reports from WMTW.

The case stems from the death of Brown’s young daughter, Fiona, and the family’s 13-year-old dog, Penelope.

Under the proposed plea agreement, Brown would face a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 25 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. She would also receive a five-year sentence for aggravated animal cruelty, which would be served at the same time as the manslaughter sentence.

However, the agreement has not yet been finalized.

Child and Dog Found Inside Locked Vehicle

The case began on Aug. 9, 2025, when authorities were called to a Freshies store parking lot in Milford after Fiona was discovered deceased inside a vehicle.

Brown was at the scene when officers arrived.

According to a criminal complaint, investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the parking lot. The footage showed Brown leaving the driver’s side of a white Nissan Murano at around 2 a.m.

Nearly four hours later, she was seen leaving the vehicle again and walking outside the surveillance camera’s view. The vehicle remained in the same location during the surveillance footage and had not been moved when police arrived.

Investigators determined that Fiona and Penelope had been left inside the locked vehicle. Fiona was later found on the driver’s-side seat, while Penelope was discovered on the floor nearby.

Investigation Raises Questions About Mother’s Account

Brown had reportedly been traveling with Fiona and Penelope from Pennsylvania to Maine for an annual family trip. She told investigators that she and her daughter had been stopping along the journey to pick up trash.

Brown also told police that she left Fiona and Penelope inside the vehicle while she went to dispose of a bag of trash.

According to the criminal complaint, Brown said she subsequently fell into the Penobscot River and struggled to remain above water. However, investigators said portions of her account did not match what they observed on surveillance footage.

The complaint states that the footage showed Brown walking away from the vehicle and later returning. Investigators also noted that the clothing she was wearing was not wet when she was interviewed.

Those discrepancies became part of the investigation into what happened during the hours Fiona and Penelope remained inside the vehicle.

Medical Examiner Links Death to Heat Exposure

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined that Fiona’s probable cause of death was related to spending several hours inside the vehicle and exposure to heat, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators ultimately alleged that Brown acted recklessly by leaving her daughter inside the vehicle and consciously disregarded the risk of injury or death.

The allegations resulted in the manslaughter charge that Brown has now admitted to. The case also included the death of Penelope, leading to the separate aggravated animal cruelty charge.

Family Had Reportedly Raised Concerns

The criminal complaint also describes concerns that Brown’s family had reportedly expressed about her behavior in the weeks before Fiona’s death.

Brown’s mother, Kristin Sanders, allegedly told investigators that her daughter had made “disturbing” Facebook posts and had said she was experiencing hallucinations.

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Those details became part of the broader investigation as authorities attempted to understand Brown’s circumstances before the deaths.

Brown was initially held on $50,000 secured bail. Her release conditions prohibited her from having direct or indirect contact with children under 18, except in limited circumstances.

Judge Still Must Approve Plea Agreement

Although Brown has pleaded guilty, the proposed sentence is not yet final.

Penobscot County Superior Court Judge Bruce Mallonee must approve the plea agreement and will make the final decision at sentencing.

A Maine Judicial Branch spokesperson said sentencing is expected to take place sometime in November.

If the proposed agreement is approved, Brown will face decades in prison for the death of her daughter, while the animal cruelty sentence will run concurrently.

The case has left a young child dead and a family grieving, while the court now moves toward determining Brown’s final punishment.

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