Inset: Kandise Sheahen (Marathon County). Background: Kandise Sheahen inside a Marathon County, Wisc., courtroom in May 2025 (WSAW).
A woman from Wisconsin received a nine-month prison sentence along with six years of probation for replacing her 80-year-old grandmother’s diabetes medication with supplements and “prayers” advertised on social media, leading to her grandmother’s death. Prosecutors had advocated for a lengthier sentence exceeding half a decade.
“I argued for six years in prison,” Marathon County Assistant District Attorney Sidney Brubacher informed Law&Crime on Thursday following the sentencing of Kandise L. Sheahen, 38, from Wausau, by Marathon County Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill the previous day, in relation to her grandmother’s death in 2022.
“I laid out the seriousness of the defense, highlighting how she knowingly engaged in wrongful actions and attempted to conceal them, how despite being a nurse dismissed for not getting vaccinated, she continued treating patients without proper authorization,” Brubacher explained, labeling Sheahen — a licensed nurse in Wisconsin — as a “danger” to society and the public.
“The judge just ignored me completely,” Brubacher told Law&Crime. “Said she thought she wasn’t a danger to the public.”
Sheahen was convicted in May of negligently subjecting an at-risk individual to abuse resulting in death, according to court records. The American Diabetes Association states glucose levels should not exceed 154; Sheahen’s grandmother had levels near 600 at her time of death, as reported by prosecutors.
The jury needed a little over two hours to convict Sheahen, with Brubacher providing two days of testimony and evidence, including an audio recording of Sheahen discussing her actions “from one of her social media posts,” according to the ADA.
“My goal in doing this is truly to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Sheahen remarked in a police-obtained recording. “I genuinely want to help people and free them from the burdensome medications imposed by the healthcare system. What I discovered when I started caring for grandma was that she was on 18 different medications. She was taking 70 units of long-acting insulin twice daily, plus 30 or 40 of short-acting insulin. Over time, with increased knowledge and divine strength, I’ve realized that we don’t need this much. It’s excessive.”
In another post, Sheahen said: “12 days on Q Core … grandma is down on her insulin and off her Tylenol.” Brubacher told Law&Crime that Sheahen would often call out social media users for not following the same path as her.
“Trust Jesus, say your prayers, and take your vitamins,” Sheahen proclaimed.
“Diane, get Gus off his f—ing insulin before he gets sick,” she told one social media user, according to Brubacher.
“This is not a nice person,” the prosecutor said. “She clearly and repeatedly said, ‘I don’t believe in insulin, I think the medical practice is letting people down.’ So yeah, she’s a threat to the public.”
According to prosecutors, Sheahen’s grandmother — who has not been publicly named by the DA’s office — was on diabetic medication for about 30 years before her granddaughter decided to switch things up. The supplements she started giving the woman have not been disclosed by prosecutors, but they were supposed to replace 70 units of long-acting insulin that Sheahen’s grandmother was taking daily, and 30 to 40 units of short-acting insulin.
Police responded to Sheahen’s home in Wausau on Jan. 8, 2022, and found the elderly woman dying. Sheahen told first responders she didn’t want her grandma to be transported to a hospital, despite her having an elevated blood sugar level. Paramedics were also prevented from taking vitals.
Brubacher condemned Sheahen’s actions as “predatory behavior” and said her family is “split” on whether to support her or not. Some feel as though what she did was right, while others believe she has “problems,” per the ADA.
“I don’t think the family will ever come together,” Brubacher told Law&Crime. “A lot of the family who are in support of her gave statements for her [at the sentencing hearing]. And then there are other family members who think it’s just a travesty and joke. They thought nine months in prison and probation was a slap in their face.”
An autopsy performed on Sheahen’s grandmother showed that she died from diabetic ketoacidosis. Brubacher told Law&Crime that Sheahen tried getting her grandma cremated “within 24 hours” of her dying, but was stopped by a family member who felt “something was not right” with the decision — leading them to call police.
“She would have gotten away with it,” Brubacher concluded.
