In a dramatic turn of events in Minnesota, a judge has decided to impose a significantly lighter sentence than what prosecutors sought for a 65-year-old mother who attempted to take the life of her adult son with special needs. Instead of the nearly two-decade imprisonment that the prosecution aimed for, Julie Myhre-Schnell will serve a three-year term.

Myhre-Schnell’s case stems from an incident in December 2023, where she admitted to attempting to murder her son, who is wheelchair-bound, by administering crushed anti-anxiety medication into his feeding bag at his group home. In July, she pleaded guilty to one count of attempted first-degree murder. The plea was part of an agreement where prosecutors dropped the charge that highlighted her son’s particular vulnerability.

Prosecutors had pushed for an 18-year prison sentence, the harshest penalty possible under state guidelines, as reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune. This request was met with opposition from the judge, who opted for a much reduced sentence, a decision that prosecutor Ron Hocevar found deeply troubling. Hocevar emphasized the gravity of Myhre-Schnell’s actions, pointing out that she had “systematically tried to kill her disabled son — her own child.”

Hocevar further criticized Myhre-Schnell’s apparent lack of remorse before her plea, noting that she expressed regret only at the fact that her son survived the attempt. “A 36-month sentence for attempted murder is why people feel the justice system is flawed,” he remarked, underscoring the contentious nature of the judge’s decision.

Although the judge did not provide an explanation for the lenient sentencing, it is worth noting that Myhre-Schnell’s son himself requested leniency in the court proceedings.

Myhre-Schnell was in the midst of divorce proceedings with Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell when she was arrested in August 2024. Following her arrest, the couple’s divorce was finalized and Schnell filed for an order of protection on behalf of himself and the victim, the Star Tribune reported.

As Law&Crime previously reported, the attempted murder took place on Dec. 3, 2023, according to a probable cause affidavit. The victim, whose name was not released by authorities, is wheelchair-bound with spina bifida and needs a ventilator as well as round-the-clock care.

He was receiving that care at Regency Home Care in Vadnais Heights, within Ramsey County, when Myhre-Schnell tried to kill him with a Lorazepam overdose. She was “hoping he would go to sleep forever,” authorities said, quoting from one of several text messages in which she confessed to the crime.

Documents said the victim told investigators that “he liked his residence and had everything he needed” and “talked about his friends and what he enjoys doing in his spare time, including volunteering weekly at the zoo.”

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said that Myhre-Schnell not only “admitted to multiple people,” including the victim, that she crushed up her Lorezepam pills and tried to kill her son, but also provided additional details to investigators when questioned.

“On June 15, 2024, Investigator Hughes spoke to Defendant about her confessions. During this Mirandized statement, Defendant admitted she did in fact attempt to kill Victim in December 2023. Defendant stated she refilled her Lorazepam prescription at the beginning of the month and received 31 pills,” the complaint said. “Investigator Hughes was able to confirm that Defendant had visited Victim at his group home on Dec. 3, 2023.”

“Defendant admitted that she crushed up the remaining Lorazepam pills and put them into a ‘slurry’ of water in a container to bring to the facility. Defendant brought the ‘slurry’ in its container, carrying it in her pocket, until she emptied the container into Victim’s feeding bag that night prior to leaving,” the complaint continued.

According to investigators, Myhre-Schnell said that “the whole time, I knew I was gonna try to do this” and that “all night, I was like, am I really doing this? Am I doing this? Am I doing this? I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Authorities said Myhre-Schnell recalled thinking “I’m going to go to jail,” worried about a toxicology report implicating her after the victim survived respiratory failure, and said she “completely regretted he survived.”

“I was worried about them finding out through the toxicology, and I was probably trying to figure out what I’m going to do. I’m just going to go to jail,” Myhre-Schnell told authorities.

By July 2024, authorities said, evidence also showed that two days prior to the attempted murder, the defendant refilled her Lorazepam prescription. But what investigators say happened in early August, just weeks before Myhre-Schnell’s arrest, is even more shocking.

“On Aug. 6, 2024, Defendant texted Victim, confessing to him that she put her medicine in his feeding bag hoping he would ‘go to sleep forever,’” the complaint said. “Investigator Hughes received copies of these messages. Victim texted Defendant that he was ‘on the fence’ about deleting her number. In response to Investigator Hughes question about how Victim was feeling after learning about what happened, he responded, ‘I made it, I’m still here.’ In describing his reaction to Defendant’s confession, Victim stated ‘it was heavy’ and ‘it’s a lot to process.’”

Local Fox affiliate KMSP reported that Myhre-Schnell was experiencing mental health issues in the months before the crime.