In a shocking repeat, a Riverside County grand jury has slammed the hammer down once more on the operators of a purported house of horrors in La Cresta. The owners of the Morris Small Family Home, Michelle Louise Morris-Kerin and her husband, Edward Lawrence “Larry” Kerin, face a litany of charges, including murder and endangerment of the most vulnerable in their care, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin announced, following the unsealing of the grand jury indictment yesterday.
Michelle Morris-Kerin is staring down the barrel of a 15-count indictment, while her husband Larry grapples with nine counts for crimes said to be as heinous as they are heartbreaking against multiple victims. The charges filed on Nov. 20, according to the District Attorney's Office, include murder, involuntary manslaughter, child and dependent adult endangerment likely to cause great bodily injury or death, alongside lewd acts on dependent adults.
Their not-guilty pleas, entered on December 7 at the Southwest Justice Center, come as a response to accusations of ongoing physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse within the walls of their care facility. These allegations ignited a firestorm of scrutiny and an extensive joint investigation by various agencies, including the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Social Services. The initial spark was the tragic passing of 17-year-old Diane “Princess” Ramirez, under the care of the accused, back on April 6, 2019.
Despite earlier setbacks, with a court tossing out a murder charge against Morris-Kerin in April 2022, prosecutors have dug their heels in. Armed with new evidence and spurred by additional facts unearthed, a fresh grand jury put its weight behind the new indictment. Michelle Morris-Kern's bail is pegged at $50,000, while her husband’s is slightly lower at $35,000, echoes of amounts previously set. The couple were released on their own recognizance, with the clock ticking until Dec. 15 to meet bail terms, as per the announcement.
Adding a layer of protection for the alleged victims, prosecutors have secured criminal protective orders against the Kerins, putting a halt to any potential communication with certain individuals identified in the case. The next round in this legal showdown is set for Jan. 26, where a trial readiness conference is set to take place at 8:30 a.m. at the same Justice Center, according to official statements. Deputy District Attorneys Maureen DuMouchel, Natasha Sorace, and Kasey Sutton are lined up as the DA’s Office Special Prosecutions Region's champions to take on the prosecution side of the high-stakes match.
