CHILLICOTHE, Ohio \u2014 A home hospice nurse who disposed of blood-soaked sheets and towels after a patient\u2019s accidental death was sentenced today for tampering with evidence.<\/p>\n
Judge Michael Ater of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas sentenced Karen Montgomery to 60 days in jail and five years of probation. A jury found her guilty of the third-degree felony charge on Feb. 15 following a two-day trial.<\/p>\n
On April 25, 2017, Montgomery accidentally severed a patient\u2019s central catheter line while attempting to remove medical dressings with scissors. Video evidence from the camera in the home shows her actions following the cutting of the line and the subsequent passing of the patient.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Dave Yost\u2019s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit assisted the Ross County Coroner\u2019s Office and Sheriff\u2019s Office during their investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tough case to prosecute, but people need to be held accountable,\u201d Yost said. \u201cHats off to Ross County Prosecutor Jeffrey Marks and his office for doing their duty to reach a just result.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are pleased with the jury\u2019s verdict in this case,\u201d said Marks, whose assistant prosecutor Carrie Charles prosecuted the case. \u201cThe facts and circumstances surrounding the patient\u2019s death were unfortunate and complicated. Through the hard work of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Ross County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Ms. Montgomery has been held responsible for the portions of her conduct which were criminal in nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montgomery documented that she had clamped the line in an effort to stop the bleeding, but the recording supports testimony that she waited until after the patient had died to apply the clamp. Instead of calling 911, she contacted coworkers at Heartland Hospice. When they arrived at the home, items around the patient\u2019s body \u2013 including bloody sheets and towels \u2013 had been gathered.<\/p>\n
In addition, Montgomery wrote in her hospice notes that she had notified the coroner\u2019s office as required for unusual deaths. However, testimony revealed that another Heartland employee notified the coroner\u2019s office a day after the patient\u2019s death. As a result, the patient’s death certificate initially listed a natural cause of death. The death was later ruled an accident caused by hemorrhagic shock, a result of severe blood loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio \u2014 A home hospice nurse who disposed of blood-soaked sheets and towels after a patient\u2019s accidental death was sentenced today for tampering with evidence. Judge Michael Ater of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas sentenced Karen Montgomery to 60 days in jail and five years of probation. A jury found her guilty […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5409,"featured_media":95057,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n