What did Utah learn from a teen's death in state custody? Her mother may never find out

SALT LAKE CITY – Almost three years after her daughter had a seizure and died while in the state's custody, a Utah mother says she and the public deserve to know more about what happened.

"I need to be at peace," Melissa Ehlers said, fighting tears.

Peace in the form of answers to basic questions: Could more have been done to save her daughter Arianna, who was 18 and in the custody of Utah's Division of Child and Family Services? Did the state learn anything from the teenager's death in May 2022?

Ehlers says answers to those questions could shed light not just on the circumstances of her daughter's death, but on whether other children and teenagers with disabilities are safe in homes and facilities overseen by the state.

Arianna went into the state's care at 12 years old after her dad died and her mom was struggling with addiction. After her mother got sober, Arianna began spending weekends at home with her family but stayed in the state's custody because she was prone to hurting herself and others.

"It's just heartbreaking to know they still don't have answers for me, for my family, and the public," Ehlers said. After months without that information, she got in touch with KSL.

The KSL Investigators have been asking Utah's Department of Health and Human Services questions about her daughter's death since 2023. KSL had multiple phone calls trying to set up an interview, and KSL's attorney even met with their lawyers.

The department finally promised an interview with its executive director, Tracy Gruber, but two days beforehand, said it would not make her available. What we did get: hundreds of pages of Arianna's records, including a binder more than 3 inches thick that her mother shared with us.

In emails to KSL, spokespeople for DHHS said the department is working on improvements. They also said they have full faith in their caseworkers, but they would not share specifics or address any lessons learned from Arianna's death.

"Even though the warning signs were there, and we told them about them, it was all ignored," Ehlers said.

The teenager had epilepsy and often had seizures in her sleep. Ehlers says her daughter needed monitoring throughout the night.

Her autopsy report says she died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Before her daughter's death, Ehlers said Arianna was concerned about her sleeping arrangement at a group home in Holladay.

"It was like, 'Mommy, I'm scared. I don't want to sleep downstairs by myself,'" she recalled.

In response to written questions from KSL, DHHS noted the teenager's caretaker checked on her about three hours before finding her unresponsive, according to a document in her case file.

"Whenever a person receiving services from our department passes away, we all grieve," a DHHS spokesperson added in an email. The agency noted records it released to KSL don't reference a recommendation for close overnight monitoring.

But Ehlers said she referenced a need for such monitoring in conversations with Arianna's caretaker and employees of DCFS.

And she told KSL she believes if someone was sleeping on the same floor and noticed her daughter was having the seizure, she might still be alive.

Arianna's medical records show prior caretakers at a different facility several years earlier were close enough to notice her having seizures. It happened at least 10 times, with employees intervening, often turning her on her side.

So, her mother said she's left to wonder why her daughter was alone at the new home.

Nate Crippes with the Disability Law Center in Salt Lake City said while there's some information the state must keep under wraps, a parent should have greater access than most.

He said the state has an obligation to find out more than just what happened, but to take a close look at whether any systemic failures were at play.

"Without transparency, without effective oversight, I don't know if we can know that it won't happen again," Crippes said.

When someone dies while in its care, the state investigates and produces a fatality review. But few people are allowed to see it.

Five state lawmakers on Utah's child welfare oversight panel review these cases each year, but Utah law keeps that record secret from the public. DHHS says that means even Arianna's mother can't see it.

"Personally, I think that they're hiding something, because why wouldn't it be open for you guys?" Ehlers asked KSL. "Why wouldn't it be open for me?"

What is public knowledge: The department grades itself every year, analyzing deaths in the aggregate.

Those inside reviews found the two agencies in charge of Arianna's care – DCFS and the Division of Services for People with Disabilities – had repeat problems communicating the year she died and the year after, reporting necessary information was not relayed.

What exactly did that mean for Arianna? It's not clear, because the department wouldn't talk about her case.

In emails to KSL, a DHHS spokesperson wrote the state is making improvements, including setting minimum communication requirements for the agencies and updating a shared agreement between them. It's also adding more training for foster parents caring for children deemed medically fragile. But the agency did not give specifics on what's changing.

Ehlers said her daughter had cognitive delays and developmental disabilities that tended to make school and social life difficult. Still, her mother recalled that she was in good spirits as high school graduation got closer.

The night before she died, Arianna tried on her graduation dress, danced around in the gown and took pictures to send her mother.

"She went through so many different facilities and foster parents and she tried so hard, and then this happened," her mother said.

She knows no answer would bring her daughter back. But she said the public deserves more transparency and accountability.

"I want justice for Arianna and I just don't want anyone else to get hurt, because it's painful," Ehlers said. "It's hard and it hurts every single day."

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