Sheldon, Iowa — The third person charged in the case of the death of a Sheldon infant in 2020 went on trial Tuesday at the courthouse in Primghar.
Stacie Hurlburt is accused of attempting to help the infant’s parents, Larry Ruotolo and Brittanee Baker, concoct a cover story about how the 5-month-old baby suffered the injuries that claimed her life. Hurlburt is charged with two counts of Accessory After the Fact, which is an Aggravated Misdemeanor.
The case stems from July of 2020 when, according to court documents, the 5-month-old baby girl was in the care of her father, Larry Ruotolo when she was found unresponsive with no pulse and no breathing. The baby was taken to the ER, then flown to Sioux Falls where she died days later. Her death was reportedly determined to have been caused by a suffocation event of an indeterminate nature, according to court documents.
According to court documents filed at the time, the baby’s parents, along with Hurlburt, allegedly had knowledge of Ruotolo injuring the infant, and allegedly cooperated in fabricating a story about the child being injured by a lamp knocked over by cats.
Hurlburt had waived her right to a jury trial, with her case being heard by District Court Judge David C. Larson. Judge Larson is expected to render his verdict in the case sometime in the coming weeks. If convicted, Hurlburt faces a potential penalty of two years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $8,000, according to the Iowa Code.
As for the other two individuals charged in connection with the baby’s death, this past September Larry Ruotolo was sentenced to five-years in prison on one charge of Child Abuse with Bodily Injury, with a second identical charge being dismissed as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Then in February of this year, the child’s mother, Brittanee Baker pled guilty to one count of Child Endangerment with Bodily Injury in a negotiated plea deal, with a second identical count being dismissed. She was sentenced to 5-years in prison and a $1,025 fine, both of which were suspended. Baker will now serve a term of 2-years’ probation, according to online court records. She had initially pled not guilty to the charges against her.
Previous coverage:
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/baker-gets-probation-in-infant-daughters-death/
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/ruotolo-gets-5-years-in-infants-death/
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/third-person-pleads-not-guilty-in-connection-with-the-death-of-a-sheldon-infant-last-year/
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/mother-pleads-not-guilty-to-charges-stemming-from-death-of-infant-daughter/
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/investigation-into-infants-death-lands-sheldon-pair-in-jail/
