An in-home child care provider in central Minnesota is facing manslaughter charges after a 2½-month-old infant suffocated during a nap in what prosecutors say was an unsafe sleep setup. Authorities have charged 53-year-old Janel Kay Dierkhising with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of operating an unlicensed child care business. The infant, identified as 2½-month-old Karson Asfeld of Osakis, was taken to a Sauk Centre hospital and pronounced dead on Nov. 11, 2025.
Autopsy And Pack-and-Play Findings
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, an autopsy by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office listed the cause of death as “suffocation due to an unsafe sleep environment.” Deputies wrote in the criminal complaint that they found a nursing pillow and two large blankets inside the pack-and-play where the baby had been placed for a nap, and that the play yard carried a label warning against pillows and comforters. The complaint also states that the pack-and-play was partly broken, and the nap room was “extremely cluttered” and lacked an audio monitoring device.
Where Deputies Went And The Provider's History
According to CBS Minnesota, Stearns County sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence on the 39000 block of County Road 186 on Nov. 11, 2025, where they found Dierkhising performing CPR on the infant. The criminal complaint says the baby’s mother paid about $150 a week for four days of care and that Dierkhising told investigators she had been providing in-home child care for roughly 10 years while unlicensed.
State Guidance And National Product Warnings
State and federal health officials say the safest place for an infant to sleep is a firm, bare surface, such as an approved crib, play yard, or bassinet, with no loose blankets, pillows or similar items that could interfere with breathing. The Minnesota Department of Health urges parents and caregivers to keep babies’ sleep spaces uncluttered. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has repeatedly warned that nursing pillows and other soft bedding can pose suffocation risks and is tightening safety standards for those products.
Charges, Penalties And Next Steps
Prosecutors filed charges against Dierkhising on April 6, and she is scheduled to appear in Stearns County District Court on May 11, 2026, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Under Minnesota law, second-degree manslaughter can be charged when a person causes someone’s death by “culpable negligence,” which means creating an unreasonable risk and consciously taking chances of causing death or great bodily harm. The offense carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, per the state statute.
How Parents Can Check Providers
Minnesota’s Department of Human Services operates an online licensing lookup tool that lets families confirm whether a child care provider is licensed and see any licensing actions, and also lists local licensing authorities. Parents seeking guidance on safe sleep practices can use the Minnesota Department of Health and federal U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission resources linked above, or contact Stearns County Human Services with questions about a specific in-home provider.
