A Red Lake woman has been given a 15-month prison sentence in connection to the death of a child in her care, as announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. The woman, Sharon Rosebear, stood guilty of neglecting the basic needs of a minor, leading to the minor's death due to starvation and infection. This conclusion was the result of a week-long trial in U.S. District Court, according to official statements.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Rosebear failed to provide necessary food and healthcare to the child, despite having the resources available to do so. Healthcare within the Red Lake Nation is free, and she was receiving both nutritional and cash assistance. This tragic scenario unfolded as Rosebear chose to not only withhold food but also ignore the child's deteriorating health, the trial evidence suggested. It also emerged that Rosebear kept the child isolated rather than seeking help when the child suffered from a severe lice infestation, an affliction that may have been a contributing factor to the fatal infection, as per medical testimony detailed during the trial.
Rosebear's co-defendant, Julius Fineday, Sr., previously entered a guilty plea to one count of felony child neglect resulting in the death of a child and received a five-year prison sentence earlier this year. The case, driven by the efforts of the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, highlighted the layers of responsibility and accountability within the caretaker-child dynamic—especially when the well-being of the child is at stake.
Upon sentencing Rosebear, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz remarked, "One of the most tragic things about Minor A’s death is that it was so easily preventable … day after day, week after week, month after month, Ms. Rosebear watched as Minor A slowly starved to death." His words, picked up by the U.S. Attorney's Office, echo the grave reality of neglect and its consequences. The child was revealed to have died at the same weight they had been nearly three years earlier, underscoring the severity of the neglect.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker, who prosecuted the case, emphasized the importance of the legal system in protecting vulnerable children. The outcome of the case serves as a stark reminder of the potential repercussions of neglect and the imperative to vigilantly safeguard the rights and well-being of the youngest among us.
