IYANA PEREZ
September 19, 2008 – July 3, 2009
Age: 9 months old
Location: Pueblo, Colorado
Suspect in Death: Kevin Buehler, Cousin
REMEMBERING IYANA
Iyana Perez was just nine months old when her life was tragically taken on July 3, 2009, in Pueblo, Colorado.
Born on September 19, 2008, Iyana entered the world under difficult circumstances. Her mother, Selena Olson, was incarcerated when she was born, and both of her parents had histories of criminal involvement and substance abuse.
Because her parents were unable to provide a safe and stable home, Pueblo County social services became involved in determining where Iyana should live.
She was eventually placed in the care of her grandmother, Snowie Buehler, who was already caring for two of Iyana's older siblings.
Her grandmother hoped to provide the safety and stability that Iyana needed.
But only weeks after entering her grandmother's care, Iyana was left with relatives while Snowie went to work.
During that night, Iyana suffered a fatal head injury.
Her body was later discovered wrapped in plastic bags inside a dumpster behind a Safeway grocery store.
She was only nine months old.
The man responsible for her death was her cousin, Kevin Buehler, who had previously been convicted of assault and was on probation.
Iyana's death devastated her family and raised serious questions about the decisions made by the child welfare system responsible for protecting her.
Iyana's Story
Iyana was born on September 19, 2008, in Pueblo, Colorado.
Her mother, Selena Olson, had a history of substance abuse and criminal convictions.
Her father, Ted "Chewy" Perez, also had an extensive criminal history and was incarcerated at the time of her death.
Because neither parent was considered able to care for Iyana safely, Pueblo County's Department of Social Services became involved.
The agency placed Iyana with her grandmother, Snowie Buehler, who was already caring for Selena's two older children.
Snowie had struggled with addiction in the past but was working toward recovery and attempting to provide a stable home for her grandchildren.
Approximately three weeks after Iyana was placed in her care, Snowie faced a childcare problem.
She needed to work the following morning, but her regular babysitter was unavailable.
She arranged for her 19 year old son, Daniel Buehler, to watch Iyana.
Daniel was staying at a trailer where another relative, Kevin Buehler, was also present.
Kevin was 22 years old and had a criminal history that included an assault conviction involving choking his sister.
He was on probation at the time.
Snowie knew Kevin would be at the residence but believed Iyana would be safe because she had previously seen him interact with the baby.
During the night of July 2 into July 3, 2009, Iyana was reportedly placed in Kevin's bed.
What happened afterward became the subject of a criminal investigation.
At approximately 9:50 a.m. on July 3, police received a report that Iyana had disappeared from the trailer.
The initial account suggested that she had been kidnapped sometime after 4 a.m.
Officers began searching for the missing infant.
Hours later, investigators discovered Iyana's body inside a dumpster behind a Safeway grocery store.
The dumpster was located less than 200 feet from the trailer.
Iyana had been wrapped in plastic bags and discarded with the trash.
The discovery devastated her family and shocked the Pueblo community.
Investigators quickly focused on Kevin Buehler.
During questioning, Kevin claimed that Iyana had swallowed lotion and cologne and had become unconscious.
He said he attempted CPR but was unable to revive her.
Rather than calling emergency services, he carried Iyana's body to the dumpster and left her there.
Investigators did not accept his explanation as an innocent accident.
The decision to conceal Iyana's body and falsely report her disappearance raised serious concerns about his account.
An autopsy revealed that Iyana had suffered a closed head injury that caused bleeding in her brain.
Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer described her death as violent.
The medical findings established that Iyana had suffered a fatal brain injury.
She was only nine months old.
She had no way to defend herself, escape the danger, or ask someone to help her.
A baby girl who had already experienced instability during the first months of her life was killed while in the care of someone her family believed could be trusted.
Warning Signs and System Failures
Iyana's death raised serious questions about the actions of Pueblo County's Department of Human Services and the decisions made concerning vulnerable children in the family.
Before Iyana died, child welfare authorities were already familiar with her family.
Her parents had histories involving substance abuse, criminal convictions, and circumstances that prevented them from providing safe care.
As a result, Iyana was placed with her grandmother.
However, the department's involvement extended beyond the decision to place Iyana with Snowie.
A later investigation by the Colorado Department of Human Services examined how Pueblo County handled previous concerns involving the family.
State investigators found that Pueblo County officials had received information about possible physical abuse involving Iyana's siblings.
The state review determined that the county had not ensured that all required child protection investigations were completed.
That finding was significant because it established documented failures in the agency's handling of allegations involving children in the family.
In May 2021, KRDO's 13 Investigates published an investigation examining multiple child abuse and death cases involving Pueblo County's Department of Human Services.
The investigation reviewed five cases between 2009 and 2017.
Across those cases, state investigators identified 24 instances in which the county failed to follow policies intended to protect children.
Iyana's case was among those examined.
The reporting highlighted the department's failure to ensure that necessary investigations concerning her siblings had been completed.
It also raised broader questions about the effectiveness of child safety assessments and agency accountability.
Iyana's grandmother, Snowie Buehler, publicly expressed her anger toward the child welfare system.
She believed that the agency had failed her granddaughter.
Although the state findings documented shortcomings in the handling of earlier reports, they did not establish that a particular caseworker knew Kevin Buehler would fatally injure Iyana.
That distinction matters.
The documented failures involved the agency's response to child protection concerns within the family, while Kevin remained directly responsible for the violence that caused Iyana's death.
The case nevertheless demonstrated the importance of thoroughly investigating allegations involving vulnerable children and carefully assessing the safety of their living arrangements.
Iyana had already experienced instability during her earliest months.
She needed a home where her safety would be the first priority.
Instead, she died only weeks after being placed in a new caregiving arrangement.
Her death left her family questioning whether more effective intervention could have prevented the tragedy.
JUSTICE FOR IYANA
Following the discovery of Iyana's body on July 3, 2009, Pueblo police launched an investigation into her death.
Investigators identified Kevin Buehler as the person responsible for disposing of her body.
Kevin initially claimed that Iyana had accidentally swallowed lotion and cologne and had become unconscious.
He told investigators that he attempted to revive her before placing her body in the dumpster.
However, the autopsy findings did not support his explanation of an accidental death.
The Pueblo County Coroner determined that Iyana had suffered a closed head injury resulting in bleeding in her brain.
Her death was described as violent.
Kevin was arrested and initially faced a first degree murder charge.
As the case proceeded, he entered into a plea agreement.
He pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death.
In 2010, Kevin was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
For years, Iyana's family believed he would remain incarcerated for a substantial portion of that sentence.
However, on April 10, 2023, Kevin was released from prison on parole.
He had served approximately 13 years of his 32 year sentence.
The early release shocked and angered Iyana's family.
In May 2023, KRDO reported that Snowie Buehler had not expected Kevin to be released so soon.
She also said she had not been notified of his release on parole.
The Colorado Department of Corrections explained that Kevin's conviction did not meet the statutory requirements for the rule requiring certain violent offenders to serve 75 percent of their sentences before parole eligibility.
Instead, his parole eligibility was calculated under provisions allowing consideration after 50 percent of the sentence.
Officials also reported that Kevin had received earned time credits and credit for time served before sentencing.
Those credits contributed to his release date.
Snowie publicly questioned how a man convicted of causing a baby's death could be released after serving less than half of his original sentence.
She expressed continuing grief and concern for the safety of her family.
Kevin's release did not erase his conviction or the 32 year sentence originally imposed.
But it became another painful chapter in Iyana's story.
Her family had already endured the loss of a nine month old baby whose body was discarded in a dumpster.
They were now confronting the reality that the person responsible for her death had returned to the community.
Kevin Buehler
Relationship to Iyana: Cousin
Conviction: Child abuse resulting in death
Sentence: 32 years in prison
Parole: Released April 10, 2023, after approximately 13 years in prison
FOREVER REMEMBERED
Iyana Perez was only nine months old when her life was taken.
She had barely begun discovering the world around her.
At nine months old, Iyana should have been learning new skills, recognizing familiar voices, exploring her surroundings, and developing the little personality that would make her uniquely herself.
She should have celebrated her first birthday.
There should have been birthday candles, family photographs, and years of memories with her siblings.
Instead, Iyana's life ended before she could experience so many of the milestones that make childhood special.
Her story is especially heartbreaking because she had already experienced so much instability during the earliest months of her life.
She was born while her mother was incarcerated.
Her parents were unable to provide the stable home she needed.
Her grandmother stepped forward to care for her and her siblings.
Snowie hoped to give Iyana the safety and love she deserved.
But only weeks later, Iyana was gone.
The circumstances of her death were devastating.
She suffered a fatal brain injury, and her body was discarded in a dumpster as though her life had no value.
But Iyana's life had immeasurable value.
She was not disposable.
She was not forgotten.
She was a baby girl who deserved tenderness, protection, and the opportunity to grow up.
Years after her death, her grandmother continued speaking publicly about Iyana.
Snowie's grief remained deeply personal.
She described how the loss had affected the entire family and how difficult it was to accept the release of the person responsible for her granddaughter's death.
Her words demonstrated that Iyana's life continued to matter long after the criminal proceedings ended.
Iyana was a granddaughter.
She was a daughter.
She was a little sister.
She was a baby who deserved to be held safely, comforted when she cried, and protected from harm.
She should have grown up surrounded by people who valued her life and understood how vulnerable she was.
She should have had the opportunity to take her first steps, speak her first words, attend school, and celebrate birthdays with her family.
Instead, her life ended at nine months old.
Her story reminds us of the importance of protecting children who cannot protect themselves.
But Iyana deserves to be remembered for more than the failures and violence surrounding her death.
She deserves to be remembered simply because she lived.
Because she was loved.
Because her life mattered.
And because nine months was far too short a time for a child who deserved an entire lifetime.
Abuse Angels remembers Iyana Perez.
Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.
