Mesa Verde Parents Charged in Murder of Teen With Mental Disabilities

After an 18-year-old woman with mental disabilities was found dead in her Riverside County home, her mother and stepfather were charged with murder, abuse and child endangerment Friday.

Riverside County sheriff’s deputies responded to an unattended death call just after midnight on March 10 to a home on the 18000 block of Palowalla Drive in Mesa Verde. They discovered Kaylina Anderson’s body in her bedroom.

It is unknown how long the body had been in the room or the cause of death.

Anderson’s mental disabilities required full-time care and supervision, according to deputies. Officials described the victim’s appearance as "diminished" and the home was deemed the home as substandard. Child Protective Services removed three children under the age of 6 from the house.

On March 14, Central Homicide investigators arrested the victim’s mother, 35-year-old Jill Williams and her stepfather, 40-year-old Steven Williams.

The couple was held at the Indio Jail with $1 million bail each. It is unclear if either suspect has a lawyer.

Anyone with information on Anderson’s death is asked to call the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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