A Grand Rapids mother convicted of torturing her child has been ordered to serve 57 months in prison, with credit for 433 days already spent behind bars. The sentence caps a months-long investigation that uncovered home security video prosecutors say shows repeated assaults and ongoing deprivation inside the family’s house.
Vivian Wahlstrom received the 57-month term, equal to just under 5 years, with credit for 433 days served. She and her partner, Jaymeson Patrich Wahlstrom, were arrested in December 2024 after Itasca County investigators launched a month-long probe into bruising found on one of their children. Prosecutors later obtained Google Nest footage they say stretches back to early September 2024, capturing physical assaults, threats, and orders that the child “eat paint chips,” details laid out in the criminal complaint and reported by KSTP.
What investigators found
Court records and local reporting describe footage that shows the child being stepped on, kicked, and hit, sometimes while one parent appeared to egg the other on, and being repeatedly denied food, bedding, and basic autonomy. Investigators say they also found the child’s bedroom in poor condition, with a bare, urine-stained mattress and no toys. The child told authorities they “did not want to talk about it” and “did not want to get in trouble,” according to the Duluth News Tribune.
The law and penalties
Under Minnesota law, child torture is a felony that can be punished by imprisonment for up to 25 years, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. The Itasca County Attorney’s Office described the evidence as “barbaric” and said prosecutors would seek an outcome commensurate with the conduct, language included in court documents and reported by KSTP.
Resources and next steps
Court records indicate the child and other children were removed from the home and placed in protective custody as the case moves forward, according to local reporting. Anyone who suspects child abuse in Minnesota can find county-by-county contact information and reporting guidance at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (mn.gov/DHS).
