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Inset: James Duplechain (Peevey Funeral & Cremation). Background: The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (KTRK).
A nurse for a VA hospital in Houston, Texas, allegedly said she had checked in on an elderly veteran several times on the night he died.
Not true, say federal prosecutors.
Christiana Ogbonnaya, who was working as a nurse at the time of James Duplechain’s death, is charged with making or using false writings or documents. According to prosecutors, some eight hours passed between the time she checked on him and when she saw him dying.
Her attorney of record did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for comment. The defendant herself hung up when called for comment, reported, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.
“This individual is no longer a VA employee,” the Houston VA said in a statement to the outlet. “These allegations are abhorrent, and the Houston VA is cooperating fully with law enforcement as its investigation continues.”
Duplechain’s wife told the outlet that she believed he might still be alive if Ogbonnaya had checked in on him that night.
According to a timeline laid out in federal documents, which have been viewed by Law&Crime, the defendant worked an overnight shift starting at 7:30 p.m. on July 26, 2024, and ending at 8 a.m. the following morning. She was allegedly in charge of three patients, including Duplechain.
It was at approximately 4:39 a.m. that Duplechain was found unresponsive, hanging from a phone charging cable wrapped around him his neck. He was pronounced dead at 5:05 a.m.
Prosecutors say that Ogbonnaya had last checked on Duplechain, 74, at 8:45 p.m. — but she allegedly told investigators that she had checked in on him at 11:10 p.m., 1:15 a.m., and 2:55 a.m.
The nurse allegedly broke the law by lying in VA record. She was indicted May 7 and the court unsealed the case on Monday.
Records show that the Harris County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.
Duplechain’s obituary described him as a U.S. Army veteran, drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. After leaving, he worked in refineries and construction before working 28 years at Bayer Chemical as an operator.
“If you drove down the street, you would find him working in his yard,” the obituary stated. “So strong, a great man. James had a love for dogs like no other. James set an exemplary example as a husband, father and grandfather. He was spiritually strong and compassionate and had a clever sense of humor. Above all, he loved and cherished his family and friends.”