Woman Imprisoned for Son’s ’65 Death

The jury that found a woman guilty of inflicting abuse that killed her 3-year-old adopted son in 1965 ruled Friday that she was sane at the time, and she was sentenced to prison.

The Ramsey County District Court jury found Lois Jurgens guilty of third-degree murder in the death of Dennis Jurgens.

Jurgens, 61, of Stillwater, was sentenced by Judge David Marsden to a maximum of 25 years at the Minnesota women’s prison in Shakopee. He left her release date at the discretion of the commissioner of corrections.

The sentence was imposed under 1965 law, rather than current guidelines that recommend a 105-month sentence.

The case was reopened last year when the boy’s biological mother, Jerry Sherwood, became suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his death and went to authorities.

The boy had died from peritonitis, an inflammation due to a ruptured bowel, but the manner of death was listed as “deferred” on his death certificate.

The Ramsey County medical examiner last year ruled the death a homicide.