Who is Judith Sobol? Michigan nurse charged with murder for being under the influence of drugs while toddler died in her care

Judith Sobol was charged with second-degree murder after an infant died under her care (Image via Coloma Township Police Department)
Judith Sobol was charged with second-degree murder after an infant died under her care (Image via Coloma Township Police Department)

On Thursday, Judith Sobol, a 42-year-old home health care nurse in Coloma, Michigan, was accused by authorities of killing a three-year-old toddler under her care.

According to People News, the girl died on Monday. Judith Sobol, who worked as the victim's night nurse, was allegedly high on meth when police found her lying beside the body of the three-year-old girl. Reports also state that she was found in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

According to the Daily Beast, the three-year-old had a condition that forced her to use a breathing tube. Authorities claim that upon their arrival, the breathing tube was disconnected. Judith Sobol told authorities that the breathing tube came off by accident.

Sobol is currently being detained at the Berrien County Jail. Her bond has been set for $500,000.


All there is to know about Judith Sobol

According to her LinkedIn profile, Judith Sobol was a registered home healthcare nurse with a Masters in Science and Business Administration. She started working as a nurse at Forest View Hospital in 2018.

However, at a point in time that has not yet been determined, Sobol became a methamphetamine user. In the probable cause document, authorities claim that she confessed that she had been using the drug.

The document stated:

"(Sobel confessed she was) not in the right state of mind to be at work and should have never come to work at all."

According to ABC, taking care of the three-year-old infant was just another assignment for Sobol. However, Michigan authorities claimed that Sobol admitted to having taken methamphetamine for four days straight. Two meth pipes were recovered at the scene.

In the police report, Sobol stated that she was cleaning the victim's trachea tube but allegedly passed out of consciousness due to her drug-induced stupor. As she allegedly forgot to reconnect the tube, the three-year-old infant died.

In an interview with WNDU, Coloma Township police Chief Wes Smigielski summed up the incident. He said:

"Through an investigation, the officers found out that the registered nurse was supposed to care for the child throughout the night. After the investigation was completed, we determined that she was high on methamphetamines and should not have been in care of that child."

According to ABC News, police reports claimed that Sobol took responsibility for her actions, admitting that the child died due to her carelessness.

On Monday, Judith Sobol was charged by Michigan authorities with second-degree murder and methamphetamine possession. On Wednesday, she faced arraignment.

As per Michigan's second-degree murder statute, Sobol could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. While investigators don't believe the killing was premeditated, they have implicated Sobol due to her neglect.

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Edited by Siddharth Satish
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