After nearly four years, Crystal Rose Searle, 37, was sentenced last week in an 8th Judicial District courtroom by Judge Benjamin Wilcox.
Commit to Commissioner of Corrections
Searle was sentenced to commit to commissioner of corrections at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee for 18 months. This sentence is stayed for five years.
Local Confinement
Searle was sentenced to 180 days in the Travers County Jail, with credit for time served of two days.
This sentence, Wilcox said, will be staggered and split into three segments.
-Defendant is sentenced to 60 days in the Traverse County Jail, to be scheduled within two weeks of sentencing and must be completed no later than June 1 of this year. The sentence stipulates that the defendant shall serve any jail time in a county jail facility approved by the Steens County Sheriff, and is granted work release.
-Defendant is sentenced to 60 days in the Traverse County Jail, so be set up no later than Feb. 3 of 2027. Defendant shall serve any jail time in a county jail facility approved by the Stevens County Sheriff. This segment may be converted to Electronic Home Monitoring on the recommendation of probation. Defendant is granted work release.
-Defendant is sentenced to 58 days in the Traverse County Jail, so be set up no later than Feb. 3 of 2028. Defendant shall serve any jail time in a county jail facility approved by the Stevens County Sheriff. This segment may be converted to Electronic Home Monitoring on the recommendation of probation. Defendant is granted work release.
Guilty plea
Searle pleaded guilty to one of four charges against her in December. On Dec. 1, Searle entered a plea agreement with the court, pleading guilty to Count IV: Neglect or Endangerment of a Child – Substantial Harm.
Charges stem from an incident on March 14, 2022, at her home in Donnelly, where she was caring for an infant. While in Searle’s care, the child sustained severe head injuries, according to a complaint filed with the 8th Judicial District Court in Morris.
The extent of the injuries required the child to be airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.
At the time of the plea hearing, Searle was charged with four counts.
-Count I: Assault in the First Degree – Great Bodily Harm
-Count II: Malicious Punishment of a Child, Great Bodily Harm
-Count III: Assault in the Third Degree – Victim Under Four
-Count IV: Neglect or Endangerment of Child – Substantial Harm
As part of the plea deal, the state agreed to move to dismiss counts one through three at the time of sentencing. Nearly four years after the incident took place, trials have been scheduled and rescheduled several times.
Earlier this year, Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Jason Heaser sent a letter to Judge Wilcox, imploring him and counsel to begin finding trial dates.
“State v. Searle was originally charged on March 16, 2022. The next hearing date for the case is a contested Frye/Mack hearing on April 2, 2025. At our last hearing, on Nov. 14, 2024, we attempted to schedule a trial date, but we were unsuccessful due to lack of information regarding available dates in 2025,” the Jan. 14, 2025 letter read.
“Now that 2025 court calendars are available, the State requests the Court email available trial dates to the parties at its earliest convenience. Given the number of attorneys’ and experts’ schedules we must plan around; it is imperative both parties have the opportunity to begin vetting dates to avoid a trial timeline that puts this case into its fourth year,” the letter concluded.
Attorneys for Searle requested.
