SAUK CENTRE, MN – A 2-month-old boy was found unresponsive inside a portable playard at a rural Sauk Centre home, where deputies say an unlicensed day care had been operating for years, leading to the arrest of a 53-year-old caregiver now facing felony charges.
Karson Asfeld died after being placed down for a nap in what investigators described as a hazardous sleep environment. When deputies arrived at the home on County Road 186 shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, they found Janel Kay Dierkhising performing CPR. The infant was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Unsafe sleep conditions detailed in affidavit
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Dierkhising told deputies she had put the child down to sleep in a portable playard and later discovered him unresponsive. She reported finding him “on his side with his face in a blanket,” and said that when she picked him up, she heard a “wheezing sound” and saw his lips had turned blue.
Deputies noted visible markings on the infant’s face consistent with contact against a surface, possibly a blanket. The playard itself was described as “extremely cluttered,” containing a nursing pillow and two blankets. The affidavit states the manufacturer’s warnings on the playard caution users to “NEVER add a mattress, pillow, comforter, padding” and to only use the provided mattress pad, warning that failure to follow those guidelines could result in death.
An autopsy later determined the cause of death as “suffocation due to an unsafe sleep environment,” according to investigators.
History of complaints and unlicensed care
Investigators said Karson’s mother had been paying Dierkhising $150 to care for the infant four days a week. She told authorities her son had been born healthy. Other parents interviewed during the investigation said they had previously seen blankets placed inside a portable playard and had warned Dierkhising that it was not an “acceptable way” for infants to sleep.
Dierkhising told deputies she had been operating the in-home day care for about 10 years without a license. Authorities said Stearns County Human Services had sent her a letter approximately six years earlier outlining when a license would be required. According to the affidavit, she responded at the time stating she was disabled and not running a day care.
Dierkhising was arrested Monday and booked into the Stearns County Jail before posting bond. She is charged with second-degree manslaughter and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 11.
A GoFundMe created for the family described the loss and the circumstances leading up to it, stating, “Nicole carried Karson for nine months, brought him into this world, and loved him with every part of her heart.” The description added, “She had just begun bonding with her little boy, learning his expressions, his cries, his warmth, and in a single moment, her entire world shattered.”