Two employees at a Connecticut nursing home were arrested in connection with the hypothermia-induced death of 93-year-old Margaret "Peggy" Healey, who was found unresponsive in a snowbank wearing only her pajamas and sneakers, authorities said.
Background
Healey, a former Catholic school teacher and nun, resided at Bickford Health Care Center in Windsor Locks, a small town roughly 13 miles due north of Hartford. The incident occurred during an overnight shift in February when temperatures dropped to dangerous levels.
According to surveillance footage reviewed by investigators, Healey wandered out of an unsecured door of the health center around 1:55 a.m. and was seen collapsing on the sidewalk three minutes later as she entered a snowbank on Main Street, police said. The temperature that night ranged from -1 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Staff members did not discover her body until 5:11 a.m., when they found her face down in the snowbank. She was reported missing around 4:45 a.m.
The Investigation
Windsor Locks Police Sgt. Jeff Lamson told NBC Connecticut that investigators believe staff members delayed calling for emergency help because they feared getting into trouble.
"We think that they felt that they were going to be in trouble, so they were trying to, in my words, do some type of damage control," Lamson said.
According to arrest warrants, Papy Bibo, 53, a registered nurse at the facility, allegedly told another staffer, "I'm not calling 911 because we will all go to prison." Police say he called 911 at 6:23 a.m., more than an hour after Healey was discovered with signs of life. Staff had attempted to warm her body for over an hour before summoning emergency responders.
Uchenna Obi, 46, a certified nursing assistant, was responsible for checking on patients in her wing every two hours overnight. She told investigators she looked into Healey's room and saw the woman's walker and blanket but did not actually verify that Healey was asleep in bed.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Healey died from a combination of environmental exposure and hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
The Charges
Bibo has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with physical evidence. Obi faces charges of reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. Both were released on bond after turning themselves in to authorities.
The arrest warrant for Bibo states that by waiting one hour and 10 minutes before calling 911, he "recklessly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death to Margaret Healey" and that his actions represented "a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable registered nurse would have administered."
Healey's niece told Hartford-based CBS affiliate WFSB earlier this year that she had significant concerns about her aunt's death.
"It was bitterly cold that night. It was below zero degrees without windchill. She was out in her pajamas and sneakers, 10 or 15 minutes, she's in hypothermia," the niece said. "We have a lot of questions."
Key Takeaways
- Margaret Healey, 93, wandered outside Bickford Health Care Center around 1:55 a.m. during frigid February temperatures
- She was found unresponsive in a snowbank at 5:11 a.m., more than three hours after surveillance footage captured her collapse
- Staff allegedly delayed calling 911 for over an hour while attempting to warm Healey's body
- Bibo is accused of telling colleagues, "I'm not calling 911 because we will all go to prison"
- Both defendants are charged with crimes including criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment
What's Next
Bibo and Obi are scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Aug. 7 to face the charges against them.
Windsor Locks Police Chief Eric Osanitsch said in a statement that he hopes the arrests provide accountability for Healey's death.
"While nothing can undo this loss, we hope these actions represent an important step toward accountability and provide some measure of closure for those who loved her," Osanitsch said.