Tragic Lawsuit Alleges Caregiver Fatally Harmed Disabled Man with Food: Seeking Justice for Negligence

In a tragic incident in Missouri, a man who required constant supervision due to a rare disability was served food without adequate oversight, leading to a fatal choking accident. James Showmaker, aged 57 and residing in St. Louis, was given a turkey burger and fries by a caregiver at an Easterseals facility. The caregiver, Tara Whitehead, reportedly left the room, only to return and instruct Showmaker to “go throw it up” as he began to choke, according to a lawsuit filed by his family.

The incident left Showmaker brain dead, and he was subsequently removed from life support three days later by his sister and family. They have since initiated legal action against both Whitehead and the Easterseals facility, stating that his death was both “terrifying and painful,” as outlined in their legal petition.

The petition underscores that Showmaker’s Individual Service Plan (ISP) explicitly required supervision during meals, ensuring he counted to 20 between bites to mitigate choking risks. The family alleges Whitehead confessed to failing in this duty of care.

Showmaker had been living with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare condition characterized by hyperphagia—an overwhelming, persistent feeling of hunger, compulsive eating behaviors, and a lack of normal satiety. This condition not only affects the amount of food consumed but also the pace of eating, due to reduced muscle strength impacting swallowing.

The legal filing highlights the inherent danger PWS poses, noting that individuals with the disorder are at significant risk of choking or overeating if their food intake is not rigorously monitored. Showmaker’s family argues that his tragic passing highlights the critical need for strict adherence to care plans for individuals with such vulnerabilities.

Proper supervision of eating is critical, according to Showmaker”s family, and often requires that the person with PWS is fed with their food “precut into small bites, that a supervisor watches them eat, and/or that a supervisor requires them to do a task such as count to 20 or turn playing cards over in between each bite of food,” per the petition.

On June 20, 2025, Whitehead was assigned as “fill in staff” at the Easterseals PWS home in Crestwood where Showmaker lived and was being looked after. “She gave him a turkey burger and fries,” the petition says. “She admitted that she left the room after doing so in direct contravention of James’ ISP.”

Showmaker began coughing, choking and making “agonizing moans” that Whitehead heard and prompted her to return. “She told him to go ‘throw it up’ even though people with PWS do not typically throw up,” the petition says. “If they do, that is serious cause for concern and a trip to the hospital, but Easterseals clearly did not adequately train or supervise Ms. Whitehead in her job duties.”

Showmaker collapsed from the lack of oxygen, and Whitehead called 911. She allegedly didn’t know the phone number to the Easterseals home where they were. On top of that, Whitehead failed to unlock the front door to let police and EMS inside, “so precious seconds were lost while James was deprived of oxygen,” the petition states.

“James’s brain was deprived of oxygen for too long,” the document alleges. “When he arrived at the hospital he was brain dead. James suffered immensely through the whole ordeal.”

According to his family, Showmaker suffered seizures and he developed sepsis after his hospitalization. He died three days later after being taken off life support.

“This is a case about an organization that families and the public entrust to supervise their parents, children, and siblings,” the legal petition states. “Despite that enormous amount of trust, Easterseals negligently trains and supervises its employees who are tasked with monitoring the activities of people, like James, who have conditions that make them a danger to themselves.”

According to Showmaker’s family, Whitehead has admitted that Easterseals never required her to read Showmaker’s ISP. “If it provided any training regarding PWS to her at all, such training was severely lacking,” their petition says. “After all, Easterseals had assigned her as ‘fill in staff.’”

Showmaker’s family says his ISP explicitly stated that “one of the most important things to know is FOOD is the KILLER” and caregivers must protect Showmaker “from avoidable death and harm to himself,” per the petition.

“When James is eating, he needs to set his fork down between bites and count to 20 or flip over 20 cards,” the ISP allegedly stated. “In order to ensure that James counts to twenty or flips over twenty playing cards between bites, an employee must stand by his side while he is eating. If they do not, he is at a serious risk of eating his food too quickly and choking.”

Easterseals could not be reached for comment Sunday. Valerie Hoven, vice president of communications for Easterseals Midwest, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the organization cannot comment on pending litigation. She declined to comment on whether Whitehead, who could not be reached for comment, still works for the group.