(JUNEAU) A former nurse at Waupun Correctional Institution was found not guilty Wednesday after a three-day trial in Dodge County Circuit Court.
Gwendolyn Vick, 52, had faced one felony charge involving abuse of residents at a penal institution and a misdemeanor count related to violations of state institutional laws. The case was tied to a wider investigation into inmate deaths and conditions at the prison that began in 2023.
Judge Brian Pfitzinger issued the verdict after a bench trial, meaning he alone decided the case rather than a jury. Prosecutors alleged Vick failed in her duties while working overnight shifts in the prison’s medical unit during the time surrounding the death of inmate Cameron Williams.
Williams died from a stroke in his cell in late October 2023. Authorities argued Vick’s lack of action contributed to circumstances connected to his death, though the court ultimately rejected the charges.
Waupun Correctional Institution is Wisconsin’s oldest prison. It has been under heavy scrutiny since multiple inmate deaths triggered investigations and a lockdown at the facility in 2023. During that period, five inmates died from various causes, including suicide, drug overdose, stroke, and dehydration-related complications.
The investigations led to criminal charges against several former employees and prison officials.
Former Waupun warden Randall Hepp was convicted in April on a misdemeanor charge related to the death of an inmate who had been left without food and water in a restricted section of the prison. Hepp, who retired shortly before charges were filed in 2024, was ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Other employees connected to the investigation have seen varying legal outcomes. Charges against Alexander Hollfelder and Jeramie Chalker were dismissed, while Sarah Ransbottom was convicted of a misdemeanor institutional violation and ordered to pay fines and court costs.
Former correctional worker Brandon Fisher of Fox Lake entered a no contest plea to a misdemeanor charge involving institutional law violations. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.
Several additional cases tied to the prison investigation are still pending. Jessica Hosfelt faces a felony inmate abuse charge, while Jamall Russell has been charged with both inmate abuse and misconduct in office. Tanner Leopold also faces a felony abuse charge.
