Fargo, Cass County (trfnews.i234.me) — Nickolas Shearer and Alie Shearer pleaded guilty on Friday.
The former Fargo couple faced child neglect charges after their 3-month-old baby died.
Plea deal and sentence
Each parent pleaded to one felony count, court records show.
The count was reduced to a misdemeanor under a plea deal.
Two other counts were dismissed at the state’s request.
The court gave both the same sentence.
Each received 360 days in jail.
They were ordered to serve two days.
Records show they already served two days.
The rest of the jail time was suspended.
Both also received 18 months of supervised probation.
They were ordered to follow all plans from the Cass County Human Service Zone.
What court records describe
The case began on July 26, 2024, according to court records.
Records say Nickolas Shearer called 911 after finding the baby not breathing.
First responders began emergency care.
They later stopped life-saving efforts.
They reported the baby felt cold and had discolored skin.
Records say those signs suggested the baby had already died.
Court documents also describe the apartment’s condition.
Investigators wrote that garbage blocked the walkway near the door.
They said piles of trash limited movement inside the home.
They reported a strong smell of spoiled food.
They also noted the apartment temperature was about 80 degrees.
The couple’s two other children, ages 1 and 2, were taken into protective custody.
A later hair test found methamphetamine exposure in one child.
Both parents denied recent drug use in the home.
They admitted to past drug use during interviews.
Records say both parents also said the apartment was not fit for children.
Records say the infant was left unattended with a propped bottle.
Hours later, the baby was found unresponsive.
An autopsy listed the cause as unexplained sudden infant death with intrinsic factors.
The manner of death was listed as undetermined.
The surviving children were later placed with family members.
Case history and resources
Arrest warrants were issued on August 14, 2024, records show.
Both were first charged with three felony child neglect counts.
Readers can look up public court information through the North Dakota Courts.
That search tool is available at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov.
Support services are listed by the state at the Cass County Human Service Zone.
For safe sleep guidance, the CDC has tips at cdc.gov.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Ain’t no way
I got charged for a b felony and got out on the registry for spanking my daughter or as the state tryied to accuse me of shaking either way mine was a b felony and 15 registry what the fuck kinda sick shit is this
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