The Tragic Case of Kayleigh Slusher: A Timeline of Abuse, Murder, and Justice Delayed

True Crime Lounge
6 min readJul 27, 2024
Sara Krueger

Sara Krueger, now 34 years old, met her boyfriend Ryan Warner, 36, several years before the murder of her 3-year-old daughter Kayleigh Slusher in 2014. The couple had a tumultuous relationship, marked by frequent domestic disturbances and reports of abuse directed towards Kayleigh.

Ryan Warner

The Fateful Day: February 1, 2014

On a cold February morning in 2014, the quiet community of Napa, California was shaken to its core. Authorities responding to a call made a horrific discovery — the lifeless body of 3-year-old Kayleigh Slusher, covered in bruises, lying in her bed at her mother’s apartment.

Kayleigh’s mother, 24-year-old Sara Krueger, and her live-in boyfriend, 26-year-old Ryan Warner, were nowhere to be found. It soon became clear that the young girl had been the victim of a brutal attack, one that would ultimately cost her her life.

Kayleigh Slusher

A History of Abuse and Neglect

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