HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Former Florida professional guardian Rebecca Fierle, who was charged in 2020 in connection with the death of a man under her care, has entered into a plea deal.
It’s the latest development in a story the ABC Action News I-Team has covered for over three years.
Fierle was supposed to stand trial next month on two felony charges, including aggravated abuse of an elderly person and neglect of an elderly person.
Her first trial, last September, lasted a week and ended in a hung jury.
During a pretrial hearing Wednesday, Fierle signed a plea agreement form pleading “no contest” to the charge of neglect of an elderly person.
That was the lesser included charge, but Fierle still could face up to five years in prison.
Fierle was arrested in February 2020 in connection with the death of Stephen Stryker a year earlier.
Stryker depended on a feeding tube because of a medical condition that made swallowing hard for him.
But when Fierle couldn’t find a nursing home to manage his care, she ordered his feeding tube plugged.
Fierle then requested a “do not resuscitate” order from doctors at St. Joseph’s hospital in Tampa, where Stryker choked to death days later after telling staff he didn’t want to die.
The case drew national attention and led to changes in state law.
Professional guardians must get a judge’s permission before signing a DNR order.
During the September trial, Fierle’s attorneys prevented jurors from hearing testimony or evidence about the DNR.
Fierle is scheduled to be sentenced by a Hillsborough County judge on March 23.
If you have a story you’d like the I-Team to investigate, email us at adam@abcactionnews.com
