MN Attorney General Files Charges Against Jail Nursing Director Over Death of Hardel Sherrell

BREAKING NEWS / BEMIDJI, MN— Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed charges against Michelle Skroch, the former Director of Nursing at Beltrami County Jail, for her role in the 2018 death of Hardel Sherrell.

Skroch was charged in Beltrami County District Court with one count of manslaughter in the second degree, and two counts of criminal neglect (felony deprivation).

According to the complaint, in September of 2018, Skroch neglected to administer “the most basic nursing care” for Sherell, who was in custody. She failed to take his vitals for two days after Sherrell returned from an emergency room visit, in spite of “objective evidence” that he was direly ill.

Skroch’s nursing license was revoked following Sherrell’s in-custody death, and a formal review determined her actions displayed a “tremendous breach in the standard of care.”