A jail insider blows the whistle to the state when Hardel Sherrell died saying she felt like she witnessed a murder. The KARE 11 Investigates team finds out those reports were ignored.

"Cruel & Unusual" is an original podcast from the award-winning investigative team at KARE 11 in Minneapolis/St. Paul. In this podcast series, KARE 11 investigates mysterious deaths swept under the rug and ignored by those in power. It exposes a deadly pattern: people left to suffer, begging for help that doesn’t come. It also reveals a state turning a blind eye to a jail doctor with a troubled past and the denial of life-saving medical and mental healthcare behind bars.

Watch KARE 11's "Cruel & Unusual" television reporting at kare11.com/cruelandunusual.