Topline: Prosecutors say she intended for her son to “go to sleep forever” and later admitted the attempt to family members.
Published: July 31, 2025 7:00 am ET
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Julie Myhre-Schnell (via Ramsey County Jail)
ST. PAUL, MN — The former wife of Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell has pleaded guilty to attempting to kill their severely disabled adult son by slipping a slurry of anti-anxiety medication into his feeding bag at a group home late last year.
Julie Louise Myhre-Schnell, 65, entered her plea to one count of first-degree attempted murder in Ramsey County District Court on July 23.
According to KARE 11, the plea deal was negotiated with the Scott County Attorney’s Office—brought in to avoid any potential conflict of interest with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office—and allows the defense to request a reduced sentence while prosecutors drop pursuit of an aggravating factor that could have led to a 20-year prison term.
The criminal complaint, cited by both KARE 11 and the Star Tribune, states that on December 3, 2023, Myhre-Schnell visited her 33-year-old son, Paul Francis Schnell, at his group home in Vadnais Heights. Before the visit, she reportedly crushed 31 doses of her prescribed lorazepam and mixed them with water, forming a “slurry” that she poured into his feeding bag.
“The whole time, I knew I was gonna try to do this,” she allegedly told investigators. “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.”
According to the Star Tribune, she later admitted she wanted him to “go to sleep forever.”
Her son, who lives with spina bifida and other severe medical conditions, was hospitalized the following day after showing signs of acute respiratory failure and reduced responsiveness.
Authorities first became aware of the incident months later, on June 13, 2024, when a Ramsey County sheriff’s investigator received a tip that Myhre-Schnell had confessed to others about the poisoning. Two days later, she repeated the admission to law enforcement.
Myhre-Schnell has a long-documented history of mental illness, including hospitalization and ongoing psychiatric care, details she confirmed in her plea. Court filings referenced by KARE 11 note that she has struggled with depression and anxiety for years.
At the time of the alleged poisoning, Myhre-Schnell and Paul Schnell had already separated. She filed for divorce on December 1, 2023—just two days before the incident at Regency Home Care. The divorce has since been finalized.
Commissioner Schnell, who was appointed to lead the Department of Corrections in 2019, is the legal guardian of their son.
In late June, he filed an order for protection on behalf of both himself and his son, citing her admissions and a separate suicide attempt.
According to Star Tribune reporting, Schnell also relayed texts from Myhre-Schnell in which she said she believed their son was being “tortured” during an extended medical episode involving kidney stones and infections.
The couple adopted Paul Francis Schnell as a foster child during infancy and later co-founded a home nursing company to help care for him and others requiring round-the-clock medical support.
Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, Myhre-Schnell could face between 12¾ and 18 years in prison, with a presumed sentence of 15 years. She would be required to serve two-thirds of any sentence in custody, with the remainder on supervised release.
She remains free on $50,000 bail ahead of her sentencing, scheduled for November 7.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Prosecutors say she intended for her son to “go to sleep forever” and later admitted the attempt to family members.
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Published: July 31, 2025 7:00 am ET
Julie Myhre-Schnell (via Ramsey County Jail)
ST. PAUL, MN — The former wife of Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell has pleaded guilty to attempting to kill their severely disabled adult son by slipping a slurry of anti-anxiety medication into his feeding bag at a group home late last year.
Julie Louise Myhre-Schnell, 65, entered her plea to one count of first-degree attempted murder in Ramsey County District Court on July 23.
According to KARE 11, the plea deal was negotiated with the Scott County Attorney’s Office—brought in to avoid any potential conflict of interest with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office—and allows the defense to request a reduced sentence while prosecutors drop pursuit of an aggravating factor that could have led to a 20-year prison term.
The criminal complaint, cited by both KARE 11 and the Star Tribune, states that on December 3, 2023, Myhre-Schnell visited her 33-year-old son, Paul Francis Schnell, at his group home in Vadnais Heights. Before the visit, she reportedly crushed 31 doses of her prescribed lorazepam and mixed them with water, forming a “slurry” that she poured into his feeding bag.
“The whole time, I knew I was gonna try to do this,” she allegedly told investigators. “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.”
According to the Star Tribune, she later admitted she wanted him to “go to sleep forever.”
Her son, who lives with spina bifida and other severe medical conditions, was hospitalized the following day after showing signs of acute respiratory failure and reduced responsiveness.
Authorities first became aware of the incident months later, on June 13, 2024, when a Ramsey County sheriff’s investigator received a tip that Myhre-Schnell had confessed to others about the poisoning. Two days later, she repeated the admission to law enforcement.
Myhre-Schnell has a long-documented history of mental illness, including hospitalization and ongoing psychiatric care, details she confirmed in her plea. Court filings referenced by KARE 11 note that she has struggled with depression and anxiety for years.
At the time of the alleged poisoning, Myhre-Schnell and Paul Schnell had already separated. She filed for divorce on December 1, 2023—just two days before the incident at Regency Home Care. The divorce has since been finalized.
Commissioner Schnell, who was appointed to lead the Department of Corrections in 2019, is the legal guardian of their son.
In late June, he filed an order for protection on behalf of both himself and his son, citing her admissions and a separate suicide attempt.
According to Star Tribune reporting, Schnell also relayed texts from Myhre-Schnell in which she said she believed their son was being “tortured” during an extended medical episode involving kidney stones and infections.
The couple adopted Paul Francis Schnell as a foster child during infancy and later co-founded a home nursing company to help care for him and others requiring round-the-clock medical support.
Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, Myhre-Schnell could face between 12¾ and 18 years in prison, with a presumed sentence of 15 years. She would be required to serve two-thirds of any sentence in custody, with the remainder on supervised release.
She remains free on $50,000 bail ahead of her sentencing, scheduled for November 7.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Mother Admits to Trying to Kill Disabled Son with Drug-Laced Feeding Bag
Prosecutors say she intended for her son to “go to sleep forever” and later admitted the attempt to family members.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 31, 2025 7:00 am ET
Julie Myhre-Schnell (via Ramsey County Jail)
ST. PAUL, MN — The former wife of Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell has pleaded guilty to attempting to kill their severely disabled adult son by slipping a slurry of anti-anxiety medication into his feeding bag at a group home late last year.
Julie Louise Myhre-Schnell, 65, entered her plea to one count of first-degree attempted murder in Ramsey County District Court on July 23.
According to KARE 11, the plea deal was negotiated with the Scott County Attorney’s Office—brought in to avoid any potential conflict of interest with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office—and allows the defense to request a reduced sentence while prosecutors drop pursuit of an aggravating factor that could have led to a 20-year prison term.
The criminal complaint, cited by both KARE 11 and the Star Tribune, states that on December 3, 2023, Myhre-Schnell visited her 33-year-old son, Paul Francis Schnell, at his group home in Vadnais Heights. Before the visit, she reportedly crushed 31 doses of her prescribed lorazepam and mixed them with water, forming a “slurry” that she poured into his feeding bag.
“The whole time, I knew I was gonna try to do this,” she allegedly told investigators. “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.”
According to the Star Tribune, she later admitted she wanted him to “go to sleep forever.”
Her son, who lives with spina bifida and other severe medical conditions, was hospitalized the following day after showing signs of acute respiratory failure and reduced responsiveness.
Authorities first became aware of the incident months later, on June 13, 2024, when a Ramsey County sheriff’s investigator received a tip that Myhre-Schnell had confessed to others about the poisoning. Two days later, she repeated the admission to law enforcement.
Myhre-Schnell has a long-documented history of mental illness, including hospitalization and ongoing psychiatric care, details she confirmed in her plea. Court filings referenced by KARE 11 note that she has struggled with depression and anxiety for years.
At the time of the alleged poisoning, Myhre-Schnell and Paul Schnell had already separated. She filed for divorce on December 1, 2023—just two days before the incident at Regency Home Care. The divorce has since been finalized.
Commissioner Schnell, who was appointed to lead the Department of Corrections in 2019, is the legal guardian of their son.
In late June, he filed an order for protection on behalf of both himself and his son, citing her admissions and a separate suicide attempt.
According to Star Tribune reporting, Schnell also relayed texts from Myhre-Schnell in which she said she believed their son was being “tortured” during an extended medical episode involving kidney stones and infections.
The couple adopted Paul Francis Schnell as a foster child during infancy and later co-founded a home nursing company to help care for him and others requiring round-the-clock medical support.
Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, Myhre-Schnell could face between 12¾ and 18 years in prison, with a presumed sentence of 15 years. She would be required to serve two-thirds of any sentence in custody, with the remainder on supervised release.
She remains free on $50,000 bail ahead of her sentencing, scheduled for November 7.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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