This investigation also revealed that the other two children Child 1 (11 years old) and Child 3 (8 years old) were self-diagnosed by Defendant as having Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bones disease) and forced to wear casts and neck braces even though they didn’t have injuries. Child 1 said he has observed Defendant steal casting supplies from the hospital and then she would put her own casts on him. A medical review was conducted on Child 1 which showed he has been in a cast for 796 days or around 2 years and two months of his life.

During a forensic interview on 11/21/2022, the three children made similar consistent disclosures regarding the torture inflicted upon them by Defendant.

Child 1 reported the following: Defendant would choke all three children and throw them across the house. Defendant threatened Child 2 with a hammer and she actually threw it at him. Defendant would make them all stand outside in just underwear for a long time. Defendant would make them stay in their rooms unless she wanted something, then they could come out to do something for her. They had to clean the house, do the dishes, laundry, etc. On one occasion, Defendant asked Child 1 to get something and he didn’t hear her. Defendant then got up to see what he was doing and he was reading a book. Defendant picked Child 1 up by his throat and held him against the wall. Child 1 stated feet were up high, he couldn’t breathe at all. He couldn’t breathe in any air or out any air and he couldn’t talk. His vision was blury. Child 1 said he doesn’t know why she let go, but she just threw him. The back of his head hit the wall- it hurt really bad. Child 2 and Child 3 were in their rooms when this happened. After she choked him Defendant told him to get back in his room. Defendant then went to get the thing she wanted and sat back down to watch TV.

Child 1 further reported that Defendant would make the children go outside in the cold for long periods of time and his whole body would be burning. Defendant has hit with a spoon- leaving marks, hit him with charging cords and with a belt with things on it. When Defendant hit him with the charging cord, it would make him bleed. Defendant also made Child 1 tell people that Child 2 couldn’t walk. When they went to the doctor, Defendant would make Child 1 cough when he didn’t have a cough because he had Asthma but now he knows he didn’t really have asthma. Child 1 would get asthma medication but he didn’t need it- sometimes his dad would use it. Additionally, Defendant would tell him to “puke” at the doctor even though he didn’t need to. Defendant would make Child 1 pretend that he broke his bones. Defendant would take casting supplies and syringes from doctors’ offices, including from Crosby Orthopedics, and she would then put fake casts on him. If the children didn’t do what they were told, they got beaten by Defendant.

Child 2’s disclosed as follows: Defendant choked the three children against the wall, hit them with belts, charger cords, anything hard. Defendant would tell him he could come out of his room and would chase him around and hit him with a spoon. Child 2 said he got really sick and had to go to the hospital and Defendant just “kept drawing my blood and blood and blood” “she kept doing it and said don’t tell anyone.” Child 2 reported that Defendant drew his blood with a syringe from his arms and a picc line. Defendant kept doing this, causing Child 2’s hemoglobin to deplete. Child 2 said this made his body feel “sick- sleepy.”

Defendant choked them with her hands and would drop them to the ground. Child 2 said his head hurt and when Defendant did this his feet were off the ground. Defendant would hit him everywhere with charger cords and belts with his clothes on and off. Defendant made the children go outside in the winter. Child 2 said he was super cold and his legs and feet were burning. He doesn’t know why they he had to go outside. When asked about a typical day living with Defendant, Child 2 stated, “I was never safe”

Child 2 said his body felt hungry when he was being fed through a picc line (which was not medically necessary). Child 2 further described that his body felt sad and his body growls. Child 2 tried to sneak food into his room but Defendant and Child 2’s father would search it. One time when Child 2 snuck food in his room when he was really hungry- Defendant and his dad searched his room and after they found what they were looking for he got a lot of spankings. Child 2 also reported that he had to sleep on the floor with no clothes on. He never had a bed.

Child 3 reported the following: She was at the FAC center to talk about how Defendant was doing mean things to her and her brothers. Defendant would tell the children she was going to kill them. When Defendant said that Child 3 said she thought she might die. Defendant said it to Child 2 the most. Defendant would bring Child 2 in his room sometimes and Child 3 would just hear screaming. Child 3 also reported that Defendant choked all of the kids if their rooms weren’t clean enough. When Defendant would to this to Child 3, she could barely breathe and felt like she was about to pass out. Child 3 said her head would start hurting, starts to race, she wouldn’t be able to walk right, her vision was blurry her breathing was “not so good” and she coughed a lot after. Defendant would then tell Child 3 not to cough or cry or she would do it again.

Child 3 reported that when Defendant “choked” Child 2, Child 2 would be off the ground and kicking his feet, but Defendant would not stop. Child 3 also reported that on one occasion, Defendant “busted [Child 2’s] head open and it was bleeding” and Defendant told the teacher that Child 2 did it against the corner of the wall but that wasn’t really what happened. Defendant would not allow Child 2 to walk when the children’s father was home and was required to stay in his wheelchair, but that Child 2 was allowed to walk when their father wasn’t home. Child 3 said that if dad knew Child 2 could walk, he would know Defendant was lying.

Child 3 also reported that Defendant would tell Child 2 to say bad words to their father so that he would hit Child 2. Other times, Defendant would tell Child 3 to bite her, so she could show the mark to their father and Defendant would tell him that Child 2 bit her, so Child 2 would get in trouble with their father. Defendant always wanted Child 2 to get in trouble.

Finally, Child 3 stated that on days that Child 2 had doctor appointments, Child 3 would watch Defendant use a syringe and take blood from Child 2, usually on Monday’s. Defendant would put the blood in a cup and one of the three children would then be required to flush it down the toilet.

On 7/15/2022, a search warrant was executed at Defendant's residence, 33249 Industrial Road, Crosslake, Crow Wing County, MN during which time evidence such as syringes, and casting materials were located.

A search of Defendant’s social media account indicates that on December 21, 2021, Defendant messaged a friend and stated that Child 2 was in a medical trial through Stanford and they had a care conference. Defendant stated that medical providers kept bringing up hospice and end of life care for Child 2, because he was disqualified from the medical trial due to needing a blood transfusion. Defendant then sent the following message on December 22, 2021: “So we are at a point where we can’t “fix” [Child 2]. Available treatment options are limited. We are aware his quality of life isn’t the BEST but we feel like it’s not the worst. He is still [Child 2] and his personality is still very present. Inevitably we were told that sepsis/infection will take his life because he has no immune system and he’s becoming increasingly medication resistant meaning that medications just aren’t working to cure the infections like they use to due to repeated infections in a short period of time. So we will continue what we’ve done the last 10 months and I will enjoy every moment.”

Defendant went on to state the following: “I’m not giving up. We are still going to ‘try’ to fight infections. I declined hospice and end of life. I did make an appointment with a local funeral home for next month just because if the worst happens I want the very best for my boy and I know If I wait until I’m in the moment my decisions won’t be made with a clear thought process. We will continue to treat infections and such but like they said he is no longer responding to Vanco which is the big guns for central line bacterial infections. So really There’s like nothing we can do to prevent infections at this point because all these bacterias (sic) naturally live in the gut/stomach and his intestines/stomach lining are so thin that they’re leeching the bacteria into his bloodstream.”

None of Defendant’s statements regarding end of life care and need for hospice are supported by Child 2’s medical records. Despite a clear understanding regarding the risk to Child 2’s life if he were to experience a serious blood and/or central line infection, Defendant engaged in conduct which repeatedly introduced these infections. In May, 2022, during Child 2’s final hospitalization prior to being placed in court ordered foster care, Defendant demanded medical procedures that, if performed, would have created an increased risk of more serious infection, which may have resulted in Child 2’s death. Medical care providers repeatedly refused Defendant’s demands.

Following Defendant’s removal from the hospital, Defendant continued to message others regarding a plan for Child 2’s end of life decisions. On May 24, 2022, Defendant messaged a friend telling her that Child 2 was essentially at the end of his life and Defendant had to meet with hospice to make end of life decisions. She further stated that Child 2 was on a ventilator and that they wouldn’t know the cause of his medical issues until after completion of an autopsy.

Investigations further reveled that Defendant was receiving proceeds from the State of Minnesota to care for Child 2 and had been nominated to receive several gifts and money from several non-profit foundations in the area. On October 27, 2021, Defendant met with M.H. from Crow Wing County Community Services to request funding through the Medical Assistance Program to pay her for providing care for Child 2. M.H. conducted an Assessment and asked Defendant to answer specific questions to determine Child 2's eligibility for services. During the interview Defendant provided false information about Child 2's medical condition and needs. Based on that false information, funding was approved to pay Defendant as a PCA for providing care for Child 2 under the Medical Assistance Program.

Funding was approved to start on November 10, 2021. Defendant applied to work for Advantage PCA Services as a PCA for Child 2. Defendant completed and signed weekly time sheets so she would be paid for specific hours of the fraudulently approved care for Child 2. The time sheets were submitted to Advantage PCA Services and Defendant received bi-weekly pay checks.

Specifically, Defendant submitted time sheets for the following periods, and received the following payments:

- November 10, 2021 through January 6, 2022, Defendant was paid $5451.80

- January 7, 2022 through March 3, 2022, Defendant was paid $6272.64

- March 4, 2022 through April 28, 2022, Defendant was paid $6272.64

- April 29, 2022 through May 13, 2022 Defendant and was paid $3491.57

Following the FAC interviews on November 21, 2022, law enforcement went to the residence of the Defendant in an attempt to arrest her regarding these offenses but were unable to locate her. Law enforcement believes that Defendant is hiding out inside her residence. The State believes that the nature of the crimes alleged herein demand that defendant be arrested and appear before the Court where conditions of release may be addressed.