BEMIDJI— More than six years after the death of Hardell Sherrell in the Beltrami County Jail, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a criminal complaint against one of the jail’s former medical providers.
The complaint filed March 7 in Beltrami County charged Michelle Skroch, 37, of Sartell, with one count of manslaughter and two counts of criminal neglect-felony deprivation.
Skroch was the director of nursing for MeND Correctional Care, the Beltrami County Jail's former medical provider.
The complaint alleges Skroch failed to properly care for Sherrell while he was in Beltrami County’s custody and her negligence resulted in Sherrell’s death.
The charges assert Skroch did not take Sherrell’s vital signs for two days, despite evidence of Sherrell’s medical distress after he returned from the emergency room.
Sherrell remained in a cell while covered in his waste, according to the complaint.
Sherrell was arrested on Aug. 24, 2018, and died on Sept. 2, 2018. The autopsy revealed Sherrell died of complications from Guillan-Barre Syndrome.
A correctional healthcare expert’s review concluded Skroch’s actions demonstrated a “tremendous breach in the standard of care.” Her nursing license was revoked in 2023.
The Beltrami County Attorney’s Office requested the Attorney General’s assistance in this case in Feb. 2023, with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducting the investigation.