Wrongful Insulin Injection ruled homicide at Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center

Veteran Affairs Sued Over Westmoreland County Veteran’s Death From Wrongful Insulin Injection

CBS Pittsburgh
March 3, 2020

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, alleges an unnamed employee who administered the injection was not qualified to be a nursing assistant and that hospital staff failed to take appropriate action to stop the employee from giving the shots.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A woman is suing the federal government over the 2018 death of her father from a wrongful insulin injection at a West Virginia veterans hospital.

Melanie Proctor filed the lawsuit Monday against Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie. It details a “widespread system of failures” at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg that led to the death of her father, former Army Sgt. Felix Kirk McDermott.

Federal prosecutors have said they are probing the deaths of up to 11 patients at the hospital.

Proctor’s lawsuit said McDermott, 82, was admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath and concern for food aspiration pneumonia on April 6, 2018. He was placed on antibiotics. He had no medical history of diabetes and there was no order for insulin to be administered to him.

An autopsy performed more than six months later at an air base in Dover, Delaware, determined McDermott had received an insulin injection and his death was ruled a homicide, the lawsuit said.

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Deaths at Clarskburg VA Hospital investigated as homicides

UPDATE: Death of veteran at Clarksburg VA ruled a homicide; Claim alleges there could be up to 10 more cases

WDTV News
August 23, 2019

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WDTV)
A claim filed by Tiano O'Dell law firm says that retired Army Sergeant Felix McDermott received a fatal dose of insulin while a patient at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center.

According to the claim obtained by 5 News, first reported by the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram, McDermott was admitted to the VAMC on April 6, 2018. He died of hypoglycemia, or severe low blood sugar, on April 9, 2018. He was 82.

The claim states that employees never told McDermott's family how he died. He was buried 4 days later.

On Oct. 23, 2018, McDermott's remains were exhumed and sent to the Dover Air Force Base for an autopsy and investigation.
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Two Tours Of Duty, Veteran Faces Homicide Charges After Car Accident?

Reports Say Suspect in Fatal Shooting Was Veteran With PTSD
ASSOCIATED PRESS CLEVELAND
By MARK GILLISPIE
Aug 30, 2016

A man charged with murder for fatally shooting a woman after a traffic accident near Cleveland served two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, records show.

Matthew Desha, 29, of North Ridgeville, is being held on a $1 million bond in Solon, where the slaying occurred. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Bedford Municipal Court.

Solon police said Desha ran a red light at an intersection on Saturday morning and struck a car driven by 53-year-old Deborah Pearl, of Twinsburg, who was headed to work. The impact caused Desha's sport utility vehicle to roll over several times. Police said Desha fired multiple rounds at Pearl with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

A witness who saw the crash said Pearl's arms were raised when she was shot. A Solon police lieutenant said there are no indications that Pearl and Desha knew each other.

Desha's court-appointed attorney didn't return telephone messages on Tuesday.

A minister from Pearl's church attended Desha's initial court appearance on Monday and spoke for her family.

"We're baffled that something as basic as a car crash could turn into a homicide," Pastor Mel Kendall McCray told Cleveland.com after the hearing. "It's just beyond our comprehension."
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Reports on families of crime victims reflection of veterans' families

In each of these articles what comes after violent events for families are told.

Collateral Damage: Advocates Aim To Save Children From Impact Of Violence
Collateral Damage: Families Struggle To Care For Victims Of Violence

Lloyd Fox • Baltimore Sun-TNS / Alice Oaks holds the Christmas ornament that will be hung on the tree at the Survivors Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) holiday gathering in remembrance of her two sons that were both killed. SAVE holds an annual event for those that are impacted by the loss of a family member or friends from violence.

Collateral Damage: Relatives Of Murder Victims Struggle With Grief

All of what they are going through is what families of veterans go through when they face the outcomes of inept attempts to avert them.

Families struggle with health issues after homicide,

Scientists at Johns Hopkins and other institutions have found that grief can cause biological changes.

The immediate grief after a death can weaken the heart and increase the risk of heart attacks. The lingering anger associated with this grief can also cause heart problems, a Harvard University study found. Other research connects intense grief to high levels of stress hormones, a weakened immune system and trouble sleeping.

Relatives interviewed in Jeanna M. Mastrocinque’s York College study attributed illnesses such as cancer, heart attacks and death to their grief. Many complained of feeling physically sick, and some lost so much weight that they dropped three or four clothes sizes. One described it this way: “I think this has changed me on a molecular level.”

Mastrocinque’s study recommended that primary care physicians pay more attention to the health status of the relatives of the murdered, given all the problems they reported.

“Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for many age groups,” said Mastrocinque, an assistant professor of criminal justice. “I don’t think people think about how much homicide ripples through communities.”

Michelle Randolph considered herself fairly healthy before her only child, Wesley Lewis, 19, was found murdered in August 2010. After his death, the Baltimore woman couldn’t control her blood pressure and suffered from panic attacks and depression.

They also suffer after family members come home from combat where they risked their lives to save others yet fell so hard that they ended up being killed by police officers.

The next time you read about a veteran and police officers facing off, remember, after the headline comes the reality of the event for the families and the officers. Remember, as with the above reports, families often suffer in silence and people walk away from them when they need support the most.

The next time you read about a veteran, remember one more key detail in all of this. They were willing to die for the sake of someone else and shouldn't have died because we managed to pay more attention to the "crime" in the headline instead of the people assuring us they were doing everything possible to help them come home.

Two Tour Iraq Veteran Murdered While Celebrating Birthday

Rodney Jermaine Nesbitt was shot and killed while out celebrating his 29th birthday
The Greenville News
Anna Lee
February 24, 2014

GREENVILLE, S.C. — A U.S. Army veteran who survived a tour of duty in Iraq was killed early Saturday morning in South Carolina while out celebrating his 29th birthday, his father said.

Rodney Jermaine Nesbitt and another person were found shot inside of a Chevrolet Tahoe in Greenville, S.C., early Saturday morning. They were shot after authorities received reports of an altercation at a business in the area.

"He had a big heart," said Kenneth Fields, Nesbitt's father. "Everyone that you talked to always said how nice he was."

Nesbitt was shot in the head and died at the scene, said Greenville County (S.C.) Coroner Parks Evans. The other person was wounded, but authorities have not released much information about that person.

The shooting is being investigated as a homicide.
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Homicide claims life of Fort Carson soldier

Colorado Springs' third homicide victim was Fort Carson soldier
The Gazette
By Sue McMillin and Andrea Sinclair
Published: February 5, 2014

The man who died in a stabbing Tuesday has been identified as Brandon Alfonzo Jones, a 25-year-old Fort Carson soldier, officials said Wednesday.

The El Paso County Coroner's Office has ruled his death a homicide, Colorado Springs police said in a release.

This marks the city's third homicide this year.

The stabbing occurred during a disturbance about 3:30 p.m. at an apartment complex at 1230 Encinitas Point, off South Academy Boulevard and Westmeadow Drive, police said.

Jones, from Columbia, S.C., joined the Army in March 2012 and completed a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in August of last year, according to military records.
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Fort Meade Soldier from Florida found dead

Fort Meade officials identify soldier found dead in Laurel home
Homicide investigation ongoing after Sutton discovered with 'obvious signs of trauma'
The Baltimore Sun
By Colin Campbell
December 16, 2013

Fort Meade officials identified the man who was found dead in his Laurel home on Friday as Johnnie Sutton III, 38, a sergeant first class from Florida.

Sutton, who had served in the Army since 1994, was found in his home in the 8300 block of Frostwood Dr. around 10:30 a.m. "with obvious signs of trauma to the upper body," according to an Anne Arundel County police news release. Police are classifying his death as suspicious, and a homicide investigation is ongoing.

Investigators are awaiting an autopsy by the medical examiner's office to determine cause of death.
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Colorado Springs homicide investigators look for answers after deadliest year ever

Colorado Springs homicide investigators look for answers after deadliest year ever
POSTED: 01/29/2012
By Sara Burnett
The Denver Post

COLORADO SPRINGS — The night was quickly going south.

Just after 8 p.m., a 60-year-old parolee had shot two people — killing one — in an AutoZone parking lot. Less than 20 minutes later, officers on a domestic-violence call shot a 21-year-old who threatened to kill his girlfriend and then pointed a gun at them.

Lt. Kirk Wilson, the man in charge of the Colorado Springs Police Department's homicide unit, was en route to that second shooting when the worst call of the night came in: Three teenagers, two of them brothers, had been shot, apparently victims of road rage.

Two of the young men already were dead. The third would be pronounced dead a short time later, making July 27, 2011, the deadliest night in what would turn out to be the deadliest year in Colorado Springs history.

There were 32 homicides here last year — a 33 percent increase over 2010 and four more than the previous record, set in 2007.

The other major cause for alarm were the deaths of seven children, all 2 years or younger. In each case, police arrested a parent or caregiver.

"We had way too many of those," said 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May, whose district includes Colorado Springs.

Many of those cases involved families with ties to Fort Carson, May said. And most were not families that had prior contact with county human services.

"I think a lot of these are parents who couldn't believe they did this — who never would have seen themselves doing something like this, except for in that one moment," May said.

El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark, a military wife, said many military families face the added stress of deployment or the return of a service member. Because of the transient nature of the population, they may not have the support system they need.
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Fort Lauderdale Vietnam Vet murdered in his home

2 arrested in fatal home invasion stabbing

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have arrested a man and woman for the home invasion and fatal stabbing of a Vietnam Veteran last week.

Hollywood Police arrested David Lee Guffey and Jessica Lyn Hazzard for the murder of Ronald J. Harrison (pictured) Monday morning. Both have been charged with one count of homicide while engaged in certain felony. Both currently sit behind bars at the Broward County Jail.
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2 arrested in fatal home invasion stabbing

Police cite foul play in soldier's death

Police cite foul play in soldier's death
© 2008 The Associated Press
Oct. 15, 2008, 6:28PM
KILLEEN, Texas — The death of a Fort Hood soldier whose body was found at his off-post apartment is being investigated as a homicide, police said Wednesday.

Killeen police identified the victim as Staff Sgt. Ryan Michael Sullivan, 24. He was with the 1st Cavalry Division's Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Fort Hood officials declined to release his hometown.

Sullivan's body was discovered Tuesday when he did not show up for duty and officers were sent to his home.
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6060661.html

Pfc. Luke J. Brown's Death at Fort Bragg ruled homicide

Bragg pfc.’s death ruled a homicide

By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Aug 1, 2008 14:51:14 EDT

The death of an 82nd Airborne Division soldier has been ruled a homicide, officials said Aug. 1.

Pfc. Luke J. Brown, 27, of Fredericksburg, Va., died July 20 at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was found in a parking lot adjacent to his barracks on post, said Master Sgt. Thomas Clementson, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the 82nd’s public affairs office.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/army_homicide_080108w/

Who killed Sgt. James Musack?

Another U.S. Soldier Suicide in Iraq -- Or Was It Murder?
Posted March 23, 2008 01:59 PM (EST)

For almost five years, I have been chronicling the shocking number of suicides among U.S. troops in Iraq - and after they come home (it's a major component of my new book). They now number well over 1000, and a new one has come to light this past week. Or perhaps it was murder.

No matter, it can be said, as in the countless other cases, that he was "killed by Iraq."


Sgt. James Musack, 23, who hailed from Riverside, Iowa, died on Nov. 21, 2006, north of Baghdad. In an investigation completed in December 2007 - but only received by family members last week -- the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command determined Musack died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Oddly, he was due to finish his tour one week later.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported, "Musack's body was found in a secluded area used to make phone calls and as a bathroom at Patrol Base South, according to the report. Musack was found lying on his right side, his left arm cradling his M4 Carbine gun, a single bullet wound to his head. There were no defensive wounds on Musack and no signs of foul play, the report said. No suicide note was found.

"Several soldiers interviewed under oath during the investigation said they knew of no reason Musack would kill himself. He had no medical, financial or personal problems they were aware of. Some described him as a quiet person who held in his feelings. When asked what he thought happened, the sergeant told investigators: 'Honestly, I have no idea. Nothing he did was out of the norm.'"

Musack's friends and family say he had become upset by an incident he never fully described, beyond saying he had made someone angry. According to the report, his girlfriend, Melissa Martin, said he called her in mid-October and said, "Honey, I am being set up." At Musack's funeral, Martin said he had made her make a promise. that "if he did not come home, we would all keep doing what we were doing."

According to the report, Musack's aunt, DeeAnna Newlin, said he had said he saw a little girl killed. Family members are exploring options to get the Army to reopen the investigation.
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Did he kill himself, which looks like it is doubtful or did someone else? They should reopen the investigation.

Homeless man's death called a homicide in Tampa

February 12, 2008
Homeless man's death called a homicide
TAMPA -- The 44-year-old man found lying on his back and bleeding late last night was the victim of a homicide, a Medical Examiner determined this afternoon.

Police patrolling the area discovered the homeless man near a storefront in Columbus Plaza at 5016 E 10th Ave. about 11:30 p.m. He was later pronounced dead.

The man's identity was being withheld by Tampa police pending notification of next of kin. It is unclear how long the man had been there, but police said he was bleeding from the mouth when they arrived.

A Tampa police incident report states the officers and Tampa Fire Rescue officials tried to resuscitate the man, but he was later pronounced dead. Detectives are investigating.

- Casey Cora and Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writers
http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2008/02/tampa-police-fi.html