Merisa Sell
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau woman has been found guilty of two felony counts of child abuse just weeks before the case was scheduled for trial.
Online court records indicate that Merisa Sell entered a no contest plea for the counts on June 20th. Judge Jill Falstad then found her guilty. A third count for child abuse- causing great bodily harm was then dismissed but read into the record, meaning it can be considered at sentencing.
Investigators say she shook a 16-month-old girl, causing bleeding on her brain and other injuries. She had to be rushed to a local hospital after spending the day at Sell’s daycare. While investigating that case, it was discovered that Sell had been accused of other incidents involving child abuse dating back to 2015.
Sell also failed to tell parents that her in-home daycare facility wasn’t properly licensed. Additionally, she had been fired from two previous daycare jobs.
The most recent case against Sell has been in progress for more than four years. Charges date back to 2018, and she was originally scheduled for trial in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic brought many court proceedings to a halt. The trial was rescheduled for the spring of 2022, but that was also delayed.
The most recent attempt at an eight-day trial was scheduled for July 17th through the 26th. That’s been wiped out, and a presentence investigation is now underway. Sell will return to court for sentencing on October 20th at 1:30 PM. She remains free on bond.
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