Posted on 07/14/2020 6:32:53 PM PDT by ransomnote
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A former nursing assistant pled guilty today in federal court here to murder and assault charges in the deaths of eight veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Clarksburg, West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Reta Mays, 46, of Harrison County, West Virginia, pled guilty today to seven counts of second degree murder in the deaths of veterans Robert Edge, Sr., Robert Kozul, Archie Edgell, George Shaw, W.A.H., Felix McDermott, and Raymond Golden. She pled guilty to one count of assault with Intent to commit murder” involving the death of veteran R.R.P.
“In today’s plea agreement, the defendant has admitted to actions that ended the lives of several military veterans who served our country honorably. Our investigation never lost sight of each of these lives and the sacrifices these men made for their country. The investigative work and the time it took to do it was always done with an eye towards honoring these men. Though we can’t bring these men back because of her evil acts, we hope the conclusion of the investigation and guilty plea helps ease the pain of the victims’ families,” said Powell. “I want to thank the incredible work by the FBI, the VA-OIG, the West Virginia State Police, the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force and our prosecution team. I also want to especially thank Attorney General Barr, and the families of the victims who never wavered in their support of this investigation. We look forward to the conclusion of this matter at the sentencing, where we will be seeking the maximum penalty.”
Mays was employed as a nursing assistant at the VAMC, working the night shift during the same period of time veterans in her care died of hypoglycemia while being treated at the hospital. Nursing assistants at the VAMC are not qualified or authorized to administer any medication to patients, including insulin. Mays admitted to administering insulin to several patients with the intent to cause their deaths.
“These cases are tragic and heart breaking,” said Veterans Affairs Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “I thank the VA OIG agents and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to ensure justice was served and that the victims’ families have some measure of closure. They are in our thoughts and prayers as we work with VA to help prevent anything like this from ever happening again.”
“When you break the trust you’re given as a medical professional and break the law, there are consequences,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “This was a lengthy and thorough investigation with hundreds of interviews, extensive medical and administrative records to review and forensic testing that needed to be done. These eight Veterans deserved respect and honor. They served our country and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. They didn’t deserve to die at the hands of a nursing assistant who intentionally inflicted pain on them and their families. I commend the work of my agents and our law enforcement partners with the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.”
Mays faces up to life in prison for each count of second-degree murder. Mays faces up to 20 years in prison for assault with intent to commit murder.” Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Brandon S. Flower are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated. The West Virginia State Police and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, assisted.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Yeah what’s up with that? I started out a CNA and you take vitals, do bed pans, input, output, make beds, not much else. How is she administering insulin? Just did it? Odd, med nurse would be missing meds?
Someone needs to put that Dog down, Dexter style.
My opinion? Reta Mays didn’t kill all those people by herself, she had help. Maybe Med. Assistant who had a similarly twisted idea of what ‘compassion’ means.
Perhaps the Med. Assistant had the drugs but lacked the nerve to actually do something for real. The truth will come out, though the general public is not likely to hear it.
Or she has a command of the Von Buelow family history.
U G L Y she aint got no alibi. Guilty Guilty Guilty!!!
Give her a date with the needle.
I’ll push the switch.
L
I don’t understand the motive, and the article doesn’t say whether they may have been terminally ill people or she’s just a psycho choosing random victims.
Yeah, how did she get the insulin, was it even the facility’s insulin?
Just awful.
“When Sunny Gets Blue” by Johnny Mathis.
She could have taken a family member’s insulin. You can buy it without a prescription. Or maybe that VA hospital was so badly run that anyone could grab the insulin and no one noticed it was going missing.
You can or could buy insulin over the counter at Walmart. Talk about scary!
I wonder what twisted motive she had.
Another patient, 84-year-old Archie Edgell, had a blood sugar level of 24 after Mays injected him, Douglas said. Hospital staff were able to raise his level and stablize him. Shortly thereafter, Mays injected Edgell again and he could not be saved.
If she can’t be executed she can at least be made Ghislaine Maxwell’s food taster.
G. U. I. T. L. Y.
“When you break the trust you’re given as a medical professional and break the law, there are consequences,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman.
Yeah she kills heroes and gets free room and board, 3 squares a day and fugly lesbian sex for life. Yeah what a punishment! I don’t worry though. She’ll be in for 2 weeks then release due to COVID.
It’s just baffling. Med carts are inventoried as are all med rooms. If she just injected from someones stolen insulin and own syringes(??) that is evil. But when I was a low CNA, no way you are around meds and syringes. I’d suggest there’s a lot more to the story.
That many people and no one checked staffing or figured it out?
Too much missing. Maybe there will be a follow up story. No matter, this is cruel.
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