Sadly, elder care facilities are often rife with mismanagement, incompetence, and indifference. Sometimes, though, there is actual malice afoot. Such was the case in 2017 and 2018. It was during this time that Reta Mays murdered seven residents of a West Virginia veteran’s care facility.
Reta Mays
Reta Mays was a nursing assistant at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Between 2017 and 2018, she worked the overnight shift on Ward 3A. She later confessed to administering unauthorized doses of insulin to patients who did not have diabetes, causing the deaths of seven men. An eighth resident suffered severe health issues.
As a nursing assistant, Mays was not licensed to administer medication. Her job was to provide basic care, such as bathing, feeding, and transporting patients. However, she managed to obtain insulin and used it to dose non-diabetic patients. The victims were elderly male patients with varying medical conditions, none of which required treatment with insulin. Instead, the insulin caused hypoglycemia (an unexpected drop in blood sugar), seizures, loss of consciousness, and ultimately death.
The Johnson Medical Center was slow to investigate the rash of hypoglycemia cases. V.A. officials did not consider any of the deaths suspicious at the time. The patients, after all, were elderly and in relatively poor overall health.
A Pattern Emerges with Reta Mays
Over time, officials began to detect a pattern. Several patients who were otherwise stable died suddenly under similar circumstances. Concerns hardened into suspicion, which eventually led to a broader investigation. Autopsies of some of the deceased revealed inexplicably low blood sugar. They also detected traces of insulin, which should not have been present. The pattern pointed to nighttime incidents, and an examination of work schedules determined that all the suspicious cases occurred when Mays was on shift.
The V.A. removed Mays from her position in 2018. In July 2020, she was charged with seven counts of second-degree murder and one count of assault with intent to commit murder. In court proceedings, Mays did not offer a clear explanation for the murders. She pleaded guilty to all eight counts. During sentencing, she expressed remorse and referenced mental health struggles without giving a concrete motive.
Reta Mays Receives Her Sentence
In May 2021, U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh sentenced Reta Mays to seven consecutive life sentences, one for each murder, plus an additional 20 years for the attempted murder. The sentencing took place in a federal courtroom in Clarksburg, where families of the victims provided victim impact statements detailing the pain and loss they had endured. Judge Kleeh described her crimes as cruel and senseless. He also emphasized the betrayal of the trust placed in her by the hospital, the victims, and their families. In addition to handing down the prison terms, Kleeh ordered Mays to pay restitution to the victims’ families.
Mays sobbed during her sentencing, suggesting her genuine remorse was for herself.
All eight victims were military veterans who had served in various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Some of the victims’ remains were exhumed for autopsy as part of the investigation to confirm the presence of insulin.
- Archie Edgell (U.S. Army, 1953–1955) died March 25, 2018.
- Robert Edge Sr. (U.S. Navy, 1952–1956) died July 20, 2017.
- Robert Kozul (U.S. Army 1951–1953) died January 29, 2018.
- George Nelson Shaw Sr. (U.S. Air Force 1951–1982) died April 10, 2018.
- William Holloway (U.S. Army 1942–1945) died April 4, 2018.
- Felix McDermott (U.S. Army 1962–1968) died April 9, 2018.
- Raymond Golden (U.S. Army 1951–1953, U.S. Air Force 1955–1973) died June 7, 2018.
- Russell R. Posey Sr.(U.S. Navy1943–1946) survived insulin overdose June 18, 2018; died July 3, 2018.
Epilogue
Mays is currently serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility, Aliceville in Pickens County, Alabama. She has no possibility of parole.
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