Honk News (Minnesota, January 2025) – A Minnesota mother has received a three-year prison sentence for failing to seek medical help for her 9-year-old daughter during a severe asthma attack last year, which ultimately led to the girl’s death days afterward.
This week, Rachel Lynn Modrow received a sentence of 41 months in prison, as indicated by court documents from Hennepin County that were examined by PEOPLE. A 35-year-old mother and her spouse, Anthony Modrow, face charges of second-degree manslaughter related to the death of their daughter.
Anthony has entered a plea of not guilty, with his trial scheduled to commence on January 27.
Rachel has been detained at the Hennepin County Jail since Monday, as indicated by records examined by PEOPLE, following her earlier release on bond last year when she was initially charged related to her daughter’s death in February 2024.
A warrant reviewed by PEOPLE reveals that the couple’s 9-year-old daughter experienced an asthma attack during a sleepover at a friend’s house. A mother observed her daughter’s use of an inhaler that bore her grandmother’s name. The 9-year-old clarified that her inhaler was empty and her parents lacked transportation to obtain a replacement.
According to the warrant, the mother of the friend reached out to Anthony to discuss the medical emergency and inquire if he would prefer her to take his daughter to the hospital. Documents claim that the father subsequently “proceeded to sigh” during the call and declined the offer, instead requesting the woman to return his daughter home, where he later reportedly seemed indifferent regarding the emergency.
The young girl was in such distress that she could hardly walk when the woman left her at the Modrows’ residence, and it is claimed that Anthony showed no effort to help his daughter as she gasped for air while trying to enter the home, according to the warrant.
The father subsequently informed authorities that his daughter had indicated her inhaler was empty a month before the fatal asthma attack, yet the parents “never got it refilled,” as stated in the warrant.
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The father reported that the 9-year-old “was experiencing wheezing, not able to breathe, was crying, upset, and not feeling well,” prompting him and Modrow to attempt “home remedies, such as a steam bath, with no effect,” according to the warrant.
According to the warrant, the parents took their daughter to the hospital over three hours later, where she was subsequently declared “brain dead” and passed away “due to a loss of oxygen to her brain related to the asthma attack.”
“Multiple doctors were consulted, including a Pediatric Critical Care doctor, who stated that Victim would have had a much better chance to survive with earlier medical intervention and explained how important early medical intervention is for asthma,” the warrant said. “The doctor noted that a steam bath is not a recognized treatment for asthma.”