Overview
- Chisago County charged 35-year-old Jonathan Chet Winch of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, on Dec. 29 in the death of 43-year-old Andrea Merrell outside M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, Minnesota.
- According to the complaint, Winch left the emergency department contrary to a medical hold before a parking-lot confrontation recorded on hospital cameras showing him on top of Merrell appearing to strike her.
- A responding officer found Merrell unconscious beside a security vehicle; after Winch jumped on the squad car, the officer used a Taser during a roughly five-minute struggle before Winch was detained as he said, "I didn't mean to hurt her."
- Merrell was transported to Regions Hospital with severe head trauma and died two days later, and the Ramsey County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by traumatic head injuries.
- Winch remains in the Chisago County Jail and faces up to 40 years if convicted, and M Health Fairview issued condolences and said it is cooperating with investigators.