A Pennsylvania woman whose 3-year-old daughter died in a hot car in Maine pleaded guilty to manslaughter Friday, but a judge deferred his decision to accept her plea.
Kelly Sanders Brown, 41, of Havertown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated cruelty to animals while crying in Penobscot County Superior Court.
Her daughter, Fiona Brown, was found dead in a hot car Aug. 9, 2025, in the Freshies parking lot in Milford. A dog, Penelope, was also found dead, curled up at Fiona’s feet. Brown had left her child and dog for 14 hours on an 83-degree day for no discernible reason, Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin said.
Brown’s plea came through an agreement with the Office of the Maine Attorney General and a count of depraved indifference murder will be dismissed. The agreement has a sentence recommendation of 20 to 25 years in prison, Robbin said.
Judge Bruce Mallonee did not accept Brown’s plea, instead saying he would wait until her sentencing date. There are too many unanswered questions about what happened and to what extent Brown’s mental health played a role, Mallonee said.
Brown and her daughter were in Maine last summer during an annual visit to see family, Robbin said. Her husband didn’t come on the trip because of work commitments.
In the days before Fiona was killed, Brown’s mother and husband were repeatedly texting Brown, asking her to return to the family camp and stop living in her car. The family eventually reported Brown missing to the police around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2025.
Brown left the car around 6 a.m. and didn’t return until 8 p.m., Robbin said. Fiona and the dog were left in the car for 14 hours, according to video footage at the gas station, Robbin said.
When Brown returned to the area, she sat on nearby rocks and calmly watched police and an ambulance around her car. Once police noticed Brown, they approached and talked to her, Robbin said.
Brown told police she was trying to collect trash along the banks of the Penobscot River when she fell in and had to swim across, and that it took hours for her to return, Robbin said. The mother said she hadn’t planned to leave Fiona for long.
The injuries Brown had were not consistent with hitting rocks in the Penobscot River, as she had told police, Robbin said. The river was experiencing drought conditions and had low flow, Robbin said.
What was said in court is only half the story, defense attorney Jeffrey Silverstein said. Brown had been receiving mental health treatment and medication until her doctor’s office shut down in the summer of 2025, he said. Brown did not seek new treatment.
Brown’s mental health decline can be seen through a series of videos she posted on Facebook before her daughter’s death, Silverstein said.
“Fiona was her world,” Silverstein said. “In the circumstances one has to ask, ‘How does this happen? How can a rational explanation be offered to contextualize it?’”
Brown has received mental health medication while in jail and has not presented with any issues, Silverstein said.
Brown’s husband, nine family members, a family friend and her recovery coach attended the court hearing.
“It is heartening to see Ms. Brown has so many people who care about her,” Mallonee said.
Brown’s husband and her attorney disagree with the 20-to-25-year-sentencing range, Robbin said.
Brown remains in the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor and will be sentenced in November or December.