Roseville woman jailed in daughter’s death investigation

Roseville, Calif.- At 6:10 p.m. Friday, June 15, Roseville Police detectives arrested Denise Marie McGrath Wilder, age 37, of Roseville on suspicion of cruelty to a child by abuse, neglect or endangering health under circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm or death, in violation of California Penal Code secion 273a(a).

This is in connection with the death of her two-year-old daughter, McKinley Wilder.  There are special allegations that will be filed with this charge, pursuant to Penal Code section 12022.7(d), stating that it is further alleged that in the commission of the above offense that the defendant personally inflicted great bodily injury upon a child under the age of five (5) years old.

Wilder is also being charged with child abuse or endangerment under circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm or death in connection with the abuse and neglect of her other daughter.  Wilder is being held without bail in the Placer County Jail.

On the afternoon of April 4, Roseville Police and Roseville Fire personnel responded to a home on Diamond Oaks Road, to a report of a child not breathing.   The first responders confirmed that the child, two-year-old McKinley Wilder, was deceased.  Denise Wilder was the only adult present with the children, and it was confirmed that she’d had sole custody and care of McKinley and her four-year-old sister over the previous few days.  Based on probable cause, which included the condition of McKinley’s body and the extreme intoxication of her mother, officers arrested Denise Wilder on suspicion of murder.  The four-year-old child was released to children’s protective authorities.

The Placer County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy, but wasn’t able to immediately establish the cause of McKinley’s death, pending the results of toxicology and other tests.  Wilder was released from custody pending the completion of the autopsy report and determination of the cause of death.  The Coroner’s Office has now completed the report and determined that McKinley died due to acute alcohol toxicity and acute malnutrition.

Based on the autopsy report and the Roseville Police Department’s investigation, the Placer County District Attorney will file the charges listed above against Denise Wilder on Monday, June 18.