Hopkins Parents Charged After Daughter, 9, Dies Of Asthma Attack

HOPKINS, MN — A mother and father from Hopkins were charged Thursday with manslaughter after their 9-year-old daughter suffered an asthma attack that left her brain dead. Police said the parents refused to seek proper emergency medical treatment until it was too late.

Anthony and Rachel Modrow — both 34 — each face one count of second-degree manslaughter (neglect or endangerment of a child) in the death of their daughter, Amy Lynn "Chicken Nugget" Modrow.

If convicted, the parents face up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

On the morning of Feb. 10, Hopkins police responded to a residence on the report of a 9-year-old girl — later identified as Amy — having an asthma attack.

Emergency crews at the scene were not able to find a pulse on Amy, and the girl was transported to the Hennepin County Medical Center.

According to the criminal complaint, Amy went to a sleepover at a friend's house on the evening of Feb. 9.

Around 7 a.m. the following morning, Amy was having an asthma attack and had trouble breathing. Amy only had an inhaler that was prescribed for her grandmother, police said.

The mother of Amy's friend at the sleepover asked why she did not have her own inhaler, and Amy said it was because her parents didn't have a vehicle, according to investigators.

The friend's mother called Anthony Modrow to inform him of his daughter's active asthma attack, police said. Anthony Modrow "proceeded to sigh" and handed the phone to Amy's mother, Rachel Modrow, according to the criminal complaint.

The friend's mom offered to drive Amy to the doctor's, but the Modrows refused, police said. When the friend's mom dropped Amy off, she was wheezing, breathing heavily, and asked to be taken to a doctor, according to the criminal complaint.

At the house, Anthony Modrow told Amy to come inside but he "made no attempt to assist" her, police said. The parents drew up a bath for Amy and tried other home remedies, but it didn't help, according to investigators.

Records show that a 911 dispatch call was not received until 10:39 a.m. on Feb. 10, and Amy did not arrive at the hospital until 10:57 a.m. — more than three hours after the Modrows were of the asthma attack — according to the criminal complaint.

Amy was kept in the ICU until Feb. 17, when doctors pronounced her brain dead due to a loss of oxygen to her brain related to the asthma attack, police said.