A nurse at a Minnesota county jail is facing manslaughter and felony neglect charges nearly six years after an inmate under her care died. The case has already led to a multi-million-dollar settlement and a law aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
Michelle Rose Skroch, 37, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter due to culpable negligence, along with two counts of felony criminal neglect. The charges stem from the 2018 death of 27-year-old Hardel Sherrell, who was booked into the Beltrami County Jail on August 24 of that year. Despite having high blood pressure and a recent respiratory failure episode, Sherrell was in stable condition upon arrival, according to medical records.
Three days later, he began experiencing chest pain and tingling in his fingers. Medical staff conducted an EKG and prescribed ibuprofen, Tylenol, and anti-anxiety medication. Sherrell had also stopped taking his blood pressure medication earlier that year. His condition worsened over the following days—he repeatedly fell from his bunk, complained of leg numbness, and eventually became unable to move or stand. On August 31, a nurse found him lying on a mat, struggling to speak with a drooping mouth.
A jail doctor suspected Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system. Sherrell was briefly hospitalized, but emergency room staff diagnosed him with “malingering and weakness” after observing him move his legs. He was sent back to jail with instructions to return to the hospital if his condition deteriorated.
When Skroch arrived for her shift on September 1, she was informed of Sherrell’s condition but allegedly did not conduct a proper medical evaluation. Instead of assessing him, she reportedly stood at his cell door and told him to get up, insisting that nothing was wrong. Despite Sherrell pleading for medical attention, she dismissed his complaints, stating she “would not bargain with him.”
Over the next day, his condition continued to decline. He could no longer eat, drink, or use the bathroom unaided. Surveillance footage captured him falling from his cot six times within two hours. On September 2, correctional officers attempted to bathe him, but Skroch allegedly responded by yelling at him, insisting he was faking his symptoms. Again, she failed to take his vitals or perform basic assessments. She later informed the jail doctor that Sherrell’s condition had slightly improved, contradicting visible signs of rapid, shallow breathing caught on security footage.
Later that afternoon, correctional officers found Sherrell unresponsive. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward. An autopsy revealed that he had died from pneumonia and cerebral edema, complications related to Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
A correctional health expert reviewing the case determined that Skroch had committed a serious failure in basic nursing care. By neglecting to check his vital signs or conduct any standard medical assessments over two days, she had abandoned fundamental professional responsibilities. Experts concluded that had Sherrell received appropriate treatment, he likely would have survived.
Sherrell’s mother later sued and reached a $2.6 million settlement against the county and the jail’s medical provider. In response to the case, state lawmakers passed a law increasing oversight of county jails to prevent similar neglect. Skroch’s nursing license was revoked, and she was arrested on Friday. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 11.
