Grandmother guilty of neglect that led to 7-year-old girl dying on Christmas on Red Lake Reservation
Jurors have convicted a woman of neglect that led to the Christmas Day death of her 7-year-old granddaughter on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
In a six-day trial, a federal jury in Duluth on Tuesday found Sharon Marie Rosebear, 63, guilty in connection with the death of Jewel Sky Fineday on Dec. 25, 2022, at the Indian Health Service.
Jewel's father, Julius Garrett Fineday, 42, pleaded guilty earlier to child neglect. Sentencing for Rosebear and Fineday has yet to be scheduled.
State death records say Jewel died in the Indian Health Service emergency room from malnutrition and a severe infection from lice.
"Jewel loved to spend time watching TikTok on her dad's phone," according to her online obituary. "Jewel was a very quiet girl, and when Grandpa would sing and beat his drum, she would dance just hard and out dance all the other kids."
Jewel's native name was "Miikawaddizimikinaakikezens," meaning "Beautiful Turtle Girl," the obituary noted. "She loved turtle[s] especially sea turtles."
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Jewel "died at the same weight she had been nearly three years earlier," a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office read, "and that while Rosebear was aware of [Jewel's] severe lice infestation, Rosebear responded by keeping [the girl] isolated rather than seeking medical attention."
The U.S. Attorney's Office statement also disclosed that medical testimony revealed that Jewel's "prolonged starvation ... may have severely compromised [her] immune system's ability to fight infection."
