Each scientific and circumstantial proof, together with enter from exterior medical specialists, confirmed Mays’ injection of insulin led to the sufferers’ deaths.
“The forensic pathologist not solely seemed on the insulin injection and the remnants of insulin to assist decide the reason for demise nevertheless it was additionally simply as necessary for us to rule out different causes for the low sugar readings, particularly for the non-diabetic sufferers,” mentioned VA OIG Particular Agent Keith Vereb. “We did this to find out that these veterans have been, in reality, murdered by Reta Mays.”
When Mays was alone with sufferers, she took insulin from the hospital’s treatment space and injected it into the boys for no medical cause. Even when there had been a cause, nursing assistants will not be approved to offer treatment. Their blood sugar dropped rapidly, resulting in their deaths.
Mays pleaded responsible to homicide prices in July 2020, and in Could 2021, she was sentenced to life in jail.
“It was a extremely old-school investigation—loads of interviews, loads of digging by way of information, loads of following up on leads, and assist from a bunch of medical specialists and sources,” Archibald defined.
Investigators by no means realized a transparent motive for such a wicked crime.
“It’s unfathomable to me, nevertheless it appeared like management. She wished to have management over these actually weak folks,” Archibald mentioned.
Archibald mentioned the investigative staff hopes the sentence, together with the safeguards the VA has added to forestall comparable tragedies, will provide some consolation to the sufferers’ households.
“I hope they may be capable to heal and give attention to the nice reminiscences they’ve with these veterans,” she mentioned. “This was an enormous case and a tough one. I don’t know if I’ll ever have one other case in my profession which means a lot.”
