Woodstock Residence investigation results in arrests

 

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Police have made two arrests in the Woodstock Residence nursing home case, which has been under investigation since November 2006. The investigation centered around allegations that the nursing home gave fatal doses of morphine to some of its patients.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi announced Friday that a grand jury indicted Marty Himebaugh, a licensed practical nurse previously employed by Woodstock Residence, with four counts of criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident; one count of acquiring or obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery or subterfuge; and one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
In addition, the grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against Penny Whitlock, the director of nursing of Woodstock Residence. Whitlock is charged with four counts of criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident and two counts of obstructing justice.
All offenses are Class 4 felonies, carrying a sentencing range of one to three years in the department of corrections.
The indictments and arrests follow an extensive 15-month investigation conducted by the Illinois State Police. The investigation included more than 60 interviews.
Since the investigation began, six deaths were considered suspicious and three bodies have been exhumed.
Investigators are not alleging that either of the women intentionally tried to kill anybody, but rather that they endangered the lives of four residents by criminal neglect.
Both individuals were arrested by Illinois State Police investigators Friday. Bond was set at $50,000 for each individual. The charges are merely accusations and both individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
At the time the investigation started, deaths at the nursing home had risen from the previous year. When the investigation began in November 2006, 34 residents had died at the 115-bed facility, according to McHenry County Coroner Marlene Lantz. The number was significantly higher than in previous years, when 18 people died each year in 2004 and 2005. In 2003, 17 died and in 2002, 28 died, Lantz said. She noted that the upward trend did not necessarily indicate foul play, however.
Because of the people’s age, none of the 34 who died in 2006 at the nursing home had been previously autopsied. Most elderly people’s health is well documented, which is the reason many elderly persons are not autopsied.
Woodstock Residence, 309 McHenry Ave., is a family owned and operated facility. It has been open since 1964.

 

This article was published in the April 9, 2008 edition of The Woodstock Independent.