Death of Hardel Sherrell: Beltrami Co. jail nurse charged with manslaughter

BEMIDJI, Minn. (FOX 9) - Criminal charges have been filed against a nurse who is accused of ignoring a man's pleas for medical help in Beltrami County Jail back in 2018.

That man, Hardel Sherrell, 27, died after his health quickly deteriorated. 

The nurse, Michelle Rose Skroch, 37, of Sartell, Minn., is charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal neglect.

READ MORE: Death of Hardel Sherrell: Beltrami County, former jail medical provider to pay $2.6M to family

Jail nurse criminally charged 

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A criminal complaint filed in Beltrami County Court states Skroch did not provide Sherrell with the necessary medical care he was begging her for as his health rapidly deteriorated. 

Skroch began her shift shortly before noon on Sept. 1, 2018, and did not conduct a basic nursing assessment despite emergency room records outlining the severity of his condition the night before, the complaint states. 

The complaint also states that a doctor told Skroch that Sherrell "should see neurology just to be sure", but Skroch did not obtain any vital signs or conduct any physical examination. 

Skroch is also accused of telling correctional officers not to help Sherrell with basic tasks such as eating, drinking, or using the bathroom despite surveillance footage showing him slumped over and limp. Meanwhile, officers reported Sherrell had soiled himself, needed to be placed in an upright position multiple times, could not support his head and had slurred speech.

The next morning, Skroch spoke to Sherrell while he sat in a wheelchair as correction officers were preparing to bathe him. The complaint states one of the officers reported Skroch was "basically screaming" at Sherrell, saying that he was faking his condition and telling him to get up. Skroch again did not perform any medical assessments or vital checks. 

The complaint describes Sherrell "lying motionless and unable to move his limbs as he bathed", which was done by three correctional officers. 

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Skroch peeked through Sherrell's cell window a few hours later, with records showing she noted him "lying down ‘comfortably’ with a juice box." The complaint states Skroch then told a doctor that Sherrell was "better than the day before" and the doctor instructed her to "stay the course", meaning she should "continue to monitor this patient and look for changes." 

Correctional officers say they were not provided with any emergency room discharge instructions or to look for any specific symptoms. 

The complaint states Skroch documented Sherrell had "no distress in his breathing" that afternoon despite surveillance footage showing "rapid, shallow breaths." Skroch later said he "didn't present with things, from my observations and assessments that would warrant… him to go back to the E.R."

Skroch then left the jail at the end of her shift, around 2 p.m. The complaint quotes a correctional officer at the jail saying they were told by Skroch that Sherrell "was okay and perfectly fine" the whole time. 

Sherrell was unable to speak at about 3:46 p.m. Officers then found him "unresponsive at 4:46 p.m. and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful", according to the complaint. Sherrell was then pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m. on Sept. 2, 2018. 

Beltrami County Jail death investigation 

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A correctional health expert then determined Skroch's actions were below "the most basic nursing care" and that she had the expertise necessary to provide what was needed. The expert added that Skroch's "failure to consider the overwhelming objective evidence" showing Sherrell's declining health "was a clear violation of the standard of care", according to the complaint.   

The correctional health expert explained that Sherrell's condition, which was later determined to be Guillain-Barré syndrome, was serious, but survivable and treatable. The complaint quotes the expert, saying Sherrell's "dire condition would have been objectively demonstrated" if Skroch had provided the most basic nursing care or assessment. 

This lack of care exacerbated Sherrell's condition and led to his death, the complaint states.