CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — An attorney for the families of veterans who were murdered at the Clarksburg VA Medical Center said Monday 11 additional deaths are being reviewed for possible connections to convicted murderer Reta Mays.
Charleston attorney Tony O’Dell said during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline” some of the deaths date back as far as 2015.
“We have 11 other cases that an untoward event happened at the hospital, we don’t have the smoking gun glucose readings, but these people looked like they were going to be discharged. They were definitely doing better and had been moved out of ICU to the step-down floor,” O’Dell said.
Mays, 46, of Harrison County, a former nursing assistant at the hospital, pleaded guilty in July in connection with seven deaths. She faces consecutive life terms for the murders and another 20 years for a count of assault with attempt to murder. A sentencing hearing hasn’t yet been set. A status hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 30. She killed them by giving them insulin they didn’t need. She hasn’t yet said why.
O’Dell said he’s still waiting for the Veterans Administration to provide him “complete and full sets” of medical records for the families of the additional veterans.
Tony O’Dell, Attorney representing families that lost loved ones in the VA Hospital Case, talks with @HoppyKercheval about the settlements regarding the civil lawsuits from six families that lost family members at the VA Hospital in Clarksburg. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIRZCB pic.twitter.com/XGuDcdHNu7
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) October 12, 2020
O’Dell recently filed a civil lawsuit in connection with the April 2017 death of Air Force veteran Charles Dean. O’Dell said Dean was hospitalized at the Clarksburg VA Medical Center because of dehydration but was getting close to discharge when he crossed paths with Mays.
“This was a fella that was completely independent, able to do whatever he needed to do, had all his mental faculties. They’re making progress to discharge him and all of the sudden Reta Mays has him that night and all of the sudden he’s dead,” O’Dell said.
MORE Tentative settlements reached in VA death cases
Separate court hearings are scheduled for Nov. 20 in Clarksburg Federal Court in connection with tentative financial settlement agreements with the federal government on six previous wrongful death cases. O’Dell said the government has promised to provide him Mays’ work schedule as part of the settlement agreement on the civil cases. He said that should help him piece together more information about the other deaths.
“Just knowing that she was the person caring for them when the unexpected, untoward event happened to them is huge evidence in these cases,” O’Dell said. “They want answers. They want to know. It’s not just these families that deserve answers but all of the veterans that depend on that medical center deserve answers.”
O’Dell and others are also waiting on the investigative report from the Office of Inspector General in the Clarksburg VA case. The OIG investigation began in July 2018.