HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A mistrial was declared Monday in the case of Rebecca Fierle, a former professional guardian who was accused of contributing to the death of a man under her care.
At 3:30 p.m. Monday, the jury was deadlocked, and the judge told jurors they had one hour to finish deliberations. At the end of the hour, the jury still had no verdict and the judge declared a mistrial.
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Fierle was charged with a felony, aggravated abuse of an elderly person, and neglect of an elderly person. Fierle was appointed by a judge to be Steven Stryker‘s guardian in 2018 after Stryker was Baker Acted and ended up in an Orlando hospital.
Investigators said Fierle allegedly ordered his feeding tube to be capped and requested a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order against his wishes while he was a patient at Saint Joseph’s hospital in May 2019. The record showed that he choked to death five days later.
Several experts testified for the defense on Thursday about Stryker's medical, psychological and behavioral problems that led to the guardianship and made it difficult for Fierle to find a place for him to live.
Stryker was a convicted sex offender who pleaded guilty to charges that he exposed himself in 2000 while intoxicated. That meant nursing homes wouldn’t take him and assisted living facilities couldn't care for him.
Several experts also testified about Stryker's poor health prognosis at the time of his death.
"He was a sick man and it was just a question of time for this guy to have expired naturally," said Dr. Philip Atigre who treated Stryker.
After being asked whether having or not having a feeding tube would have a good outcome for Stryker, Dr. Arigre said, "next to none."
