A sheriff’s investigator received a report on June 13 that Myhre-Schnell had told people that she tried to kill her son. Two days later, Myhre-Schnell admitted the same to the investigator.

She said she refilled her prescription at the start of December 2023 and received 31 doses of Lorazepam. On Dec. 3, she crushed the remaining pills, mixed them with water in a container. Myhre-Schnell said she emptied the container into her son’s feeding bag that night, with the intention of killing him. She then left.

“The whole time I knew I was going to try to do this,” the complaint quoted her as telling the investigator. She said she went on to think, “‘I’m going to go to jail.’ “

After learning that her son did not die, Myhre-Schnell told the investigator that she “completely regretted that he survived.”

Myhre-Schnell typically had visited her son at the home at least weekly, but the visits stopped after Dec. 3.

Paul Francis Schell was hospitalized the next day after exhibiting an “altered mental status, decreased level of responsiveness, and hypotension,” and suffering from acute respiratory failure, the complaint said. Medical records from the hospital stay showed no record of that he had a toxicology test.

He’s David Hunter II, and on Jan. 6 the North Minneapolis native will take over the job of overseeing the center that provides programs and services that empower individuals and families.

“David’s unique ability to meet people where they are, paired with his servant leadership approach, makes him the ideal leader to guide PWCC into its next century of service,” Board Chair Scott Morris said in a statement. “His empathy, understanding, and passion for our mission inspire hope and possibility for our entire community.”

Hunter’s appointment is sort of a homecoming. When Hunter was a student at North Minneapolis’ Bethune Elementary School, he took part in programs offered by PWCC. The center at 130110th Avenue N. this year is marking its 100th anniversary of offering food assistance, domestic violence support, parenting restoration classes, youth basketball and technology skills courses for young men and women. The center also hosts special programs for Juneteenth, Thanksgiving and Earth Day, and a Santa breakfast for families.

Hunter most recently served as center director for the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge in Rochester, Minn., where he led recovery programs and guided teams focused on holistic growth. He also served as a chaplain, providing spiritual and emotional support to individuals and families.

His resume also includes working as a counselor at the Salvation Army in Minneapolis, where he connected individuals struggling with homelessness and addiction to resources. Hunter is also a board member of Second Chance Coalition and the R3 Collaborative, organizations that advocate for social justice and help those re-entering society.

The FBI is searching at least two Minnesota autism centers Thursday morning as part of an investigation that it said revealed “substantial evidence” of fraudulent Medicaid claims made by many companies participating in a state program to serve people under 21.

Agents were searching at least two locations as of Thursday morning, according to a 54-page search warrant application: Smart Therapy Center’s business office in Minneapolis and Star Autism Center’s office in St. Cloud. A Star Tribune reporter observed FBI agents in the hallway of Smart Therapy Center’s office early Thursday morning.

The searches are in connection with an investigation into fraud related to the state-funded Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) health care program that serves people under 21 with autism spectrum disorder.

The state became one of the first to offer Medicaid coverage for EIDBI services in 2017 and, according to the search warrant, “dozens and dozens of autism clinics and other companies purporting to offer EIDBI treatment have been created in Minnesota.” That includes several people involved in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, according to FBI Special Agent Kurt Buelke.

Minnesota’s EIDBI program has seen an exponential growth in Medicaid billing submitted for its services: Minnesota companies billed the state for roughly $400 million in such services in both 2023 and 2024 for Minnesota Medical Assistant and related public health plans, the warrant describes.

Buelke wrote that the FBI’s investigation “has found substantial evidence that many of these companies have been submitting fraudulent claims for EIDBI services that were not actually provided or that were not covered by the EIDBI program.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to startribune.com for updates.