Infant suffocates in cluttered playard at unlicensed day care

Officials in Minnesota detained a 53-year-old woman suspected of operating an illegal day care after a 2-month-old infant passed away while napping in a "crowded" portable playard.

Janel Kay Dierkhising faces charges of second-degree manslaughter following the death of Karson Asfeld in Sauk Centre, roughly 100 miles from Minneapolis.

Based on a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Stearns County Sheriff's Office deputies responded just before 2:30pm on November 11, 2025, to a home on the 3000 block of County Road 186 for a report of a non-breathing infant.

Upon arrival, deputies observed Dierkhising giving CPR to the child. Paramedics transported the young boy to the hospital where he was declared deceased.

Dierkhising informed officers she was looking after the child and laid him down for a nap in a portable playard. Not hearing him for some time, she checked on him and "found him on his side with his face in a blanket," officers noted.

Lifting him up, she detected a "wheezing noise" and saw his lips had turned blue, according to the complaint.

Realizing Karson wasn't breathing, she contacted 911. Deputies observed a mark on Karson’s face suggesting he was pressed against a surface, potentially a blanket.

The playard, deputies reported, was "very cluttered" containing a nursing pillow and two blankets.

The playard displayed several warnings advising people to "NEVER introduce a mattress, pillow, comforter, padding" and to solely use the mattress pad from the manufacturer, the affidavit indicated.

Noncompliance with these guidelines could lead to death, the manufacturer cautioned, the affidavit mentioned.

Authorities stated that an autopsy confirmed the child's death was "due to suffocation from an unsafe sleep setting."

Interviewing Karson's mother, investigators learned her son was born healthy and she was paying Dierkhising $150 weekly to care for him four days a week.

Additionally, police spoke with other parents whose children had been under Dierkhising’s care, reporting they previously saw blankets in the playard and had told her this was an "unacceptable sleeping arrangement" for infants.

During a conversation with deputies, Dierkhising admitted to operating the unlicensed daycare at her home for nearly 10 years.

Deputies discovered that about six years ago, Stearns County Human Services sent her a letter identifying situations requiring a daycare license, they reported. She allegedly replied, claiming disability and denying operating a daycare.

A GoFundMe page description shared that Karson's mother, Nicole Asfeld, returned to work earlier than planned due to the family's financial needs.