Stearns County mom admits to murder for silencing disabled child's oxygen-monitoring device alarm

A central Minnesota woman has pleaded guilty to murder for silencing the alarm on an oxygen-monitoring device and allowing her severely disabled child to die.

Elise C. Nelson, 38, of Paynesville pleaded guilty Wednesday in Stearns County District Court to second-degree murder in connection with the June 2020 death of 13-year-old Kylie Larson.

Kylie had medical problems including chronic respiratory failure and severe developmental delay from a loss of oxygen at birth, the criminal complaint against her mother read.

Nelson's guilty plea did not come with any agreement about what her sentence should be. Nelson remains free on bond ahead of sentencing on Jan. 8.

Autopsy results from the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, while attributing Kylie's death to complications during birth, also said Nelson was "deprived care resulting in death," the charges read.

Kylie's parents sued in 2008 on their daughter's behalf alleging medical malpractice by Affiliated Community Medical Centers and Rice Memorial Hospital in connection with Kylie's difficulties at birth and were awarded $23.2 million by a jury.

However, the defendants filed motions with then-Kandiyohi District Judge Donald Spilseth in opposition to that amount. The judge ordered both sides to mediation, and a settlement for an undisclosed sum was reached.

Kylie's online obituary said she "enjoyed being outside and moving around, whether it be spinning around in her chair, going for walks with friends and family, or traveling to new places."

Kylie attended Paynesville Middle School, where "her fellow schoolmates looked forward to pushing her around in the halls and laughing with her," the obituary said.

According to the complaint:

With her husband on a fishing trip on June 18, 2020, and her other child staying at a family friend's home, Nelson was alone with Kylie.

Twice in the morning of June 19, a warning alarm sounded from Kylie's pulse oximeter, a device that clips to a finger and assesses breathing by measuring the oxygen saturation of arterial blood and a person's pulse rate.

Nelson silenced the alarm both times and 11 hours later turned off the device, meaning that "nothing monitored the child's oxygen saturation levels or pulse rates." The device retains data of its operational history and was in excellent working order.

Over the weekend, Nelson repeatedly silenced the alarm while adjusting the settings for when it would sound. Eventually, the device was taken off Kylie. Nelson called 911 on June 21, and officers arrived to find the child on the living room floor. Kylie was declared dead within the hour at Paynesville Hospital.

The mother told law enforcement she heard the alarm go off and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation for an hour before calling authorities. However, officers at the scene said Nelson did not look as if she exerted herself for an hour while performing CPR.