‘Abhorrent’: VA nurse lied about checking in on Vietnam vet who was found dead with charging cable around neck, prosecutors say

A caregiver for a VA infirmary successful Houston, Texas, allegedly said she had checked successful connected an aged seasoned respective times connected the nighttime helium died.

Not true, accidental national prosecutors.

Christiana Ogbonnaya, who was moving arsenic a caregiver astatine the clip of James Duplechain’s death, is charged with making oregon utilizing mendacious writings oregon documents. According to prosecutors, immoderate 8 hours passed betwixt the clip she checked connected him and erstwhile she saw him dying.

Her lawyer of grounds did not instantly respond to a Law&Crime petition for comment. The suspect herself hung up erstwhile called for comment, reported, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.

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“This idiosyncratic is nary longer a VA employee,” the Houston VA said successful a connection to the outlet. “These allegations are abhorrent, and the Houston VA is cooperating afloat with instrumentality enforcement arsenic its probe continues.”

Duplechain’s woman told the outlet that she believed helium mightiness inactive beryllium live if Ogbonnaya had checked successful connected him that night.

According to a timeline laid retired successful national documents, which person been viewed by Law&Crime, the suspect worked an overnight displacement starting astatine 7:30 p.m. connected July 26, 2024, and ending astatine 8 a.m. the pursuing morning. She was allegedly successful complaint of 3 patients, including Duplechain.

It was astatine astir 4:39 a.m. that Duplechain was recovered unresponsive, hanging from a telephone charging cablegram wrapped astir him his neck. He was pronounced dormant astatine 5:05 a.m.

Prosecutors accidental that Ogbonnaya had past checked connected Duplechain, 74, astatine 8:45 p.m. — but she allegedly told investigators that she had checked successful connected him astatine 11:10 p.m., 1:15 a.m., and 2:55 a.m.

The caregiver allegedly broke the instrumentality by lying successful VA record. She was indicted May 7 and the tribunal unsealed the lawsuit connected Monday.

Records amusement that the Harris County aesculapian examiner ruled his decease a suicide.

Duplechain’s obituary described him arsenic a U.S. Army veteran, drafted to service successful the Vietnam War. After leaving, helium worked successful refineries and operation earlier moving 28 years astatine Bayer Chemical arsenic an operator.

“If you drove down the street, you would find him moving successful his yard,” the obituary stated. “So strong, a large man. James had a emotion for dogs similar nary other. James acceptable an exemplary illustration arsenic a husband, begetter and grandfather. He was spiritually beardown and compassionate and had a clever consciousness of humor. Above all, helium loved and cherished his household and friends.”