The parents of a 2-year-old North Carolina boy are calling for a criminal investigation into their son's death following a dental procedure at a Greensboro surgery center in July 2025, according to a report published June 16 on WXII 12 Winstom-Salem.
Er'mias Mitchell died after going into cardiac arrest during a procedure at Valleygate Dental Surgery Center, according to his parents and an autopsy report. Er'mias had been given a second dose of propofol to sedate him when he went into distress, the report states. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
His parents, Sharde Sherrill and David Mitchell, said they were not notified by staff that their son was in distress while they waited in the waiting room and they were unaware propofol had been given to Er'mias, the article states.
“Every day, I’m just hoping I’m living in a dream. I’m hoping when I wake up, I hear my son say, ‘Mama.’ But then I wake up and I don't hear it. So then I realize it’s my new reality that my baby is, he’s gone,” Sherrill said.
Guilford County District Attorney Avery Crump said in a letter that her office does not comment on whether an investigation is being conducted, adding that the medical examiner listed Er'mias' manner of death as natural. The North Carolina Medical Board said all investigations are confidential.
Sherrill and Mitchell, along with their attorney, planned to hold a news conference on June 16 at the Guilford County Courthouse to urge the district attorney to open a criminal investigation. Valleygate Dental Surgery Center has not responded to requests for comment, WXII-12 reported, and the Greensboro Police Department said there are no updates in the case.
As reported by DrBicuspid in October 2025, the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners concluded in its investigation that dental procedures had not begun when Er'mias had a medical emergency on July 17, 2025.
