New Orleans coroner finds no sign of homicide in Katrina mercy killing case

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070201/ts_alt_afp/usstormneworleans_070201194905;_ylt=AszCu9jkG4KizsJIndvDJXzMWM0F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MjBwMWtkBHNlYwM3MTg-

New Orleans coroner finds no sign of homicide in Katrina mercy killing case

1 hour, 2 minutes ago

CHICAGO (AFP) - A New Orleans coroner has found no sign of homicide in the alleged mercy killing of four elderly patients in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, local media reports.

Orleans Parish Coroner Frank Minyard told the New Orleans Times Picayune that the physical evidence in the deaths patients in a flood-ravaged hospital does not indicate whether they died of natural causes or homicide.

"We did everything we were asked to do," Minyard said. "We took toxicology and sent it up to one of the best labs in the country for them to analyze...But as we stand now, with all of the consultants we have used in our investigation, the classification is undetermined."

The classification of undetermined means it is unclear whether the patients died of natural causes, accident, suicide or homicide.

[AnneD]

1. Cause of death...

Governmental neglect.:cry:

[EFerrari]

9. WH in specific -- they knew the levees were breached and didn't

warn anyone. :mad:

[dflprincess]

17. They had to save the frozen embryos

n/t

[2Design]

2. as they said on boston legal - the united states of america was not there n/t

[fidgeting wildly]

3. I'm amazed at how often that show gets it right.

That recent episode on this very topic was heartbreaking.

[aquart]

4. And this week's closing statement was really about Iraq, not cosmetics.

[gratefultobelib]

11. I am so glad you mentioned that! That episode was stunning. I was

trying to figure out what Alan Shore was going to say and boy, he nailed it. What terrific writers on that show--true patriots.

[Hekate]

5. Will the doctors/nurses now get their own lives back? They STAYED to help.

This case has been a nightmare for people whose only "crime" was staying and trying to help when the entire city had been abandoned by the United States government. Even this conclusion leaves too much up in doubt -- will those brave souls even have medical licenses?

Hekate

[brer cat]

6. The crime was the abandonment...

...but they chose to "shoot" the compassionate people who stayed and attempted, against impossible odds, to do what they are trained and committed to do. It's a disgrace. ok, everything about the US gov't non-response to Katrina was a disgrace, but this one particularly pisses me off because so many medical personnel literally risked their lives to give what little help they could. They are heroes, not criminals.

[blondeatlast]

7. No kidding--allt the horror they tried to stanch, and they get accused of murder?

Imagine doing your best to alleviate that horror and finding out you were accused of murder.

They should have a tickertape parade--hell, they should be the kings and queens of Mardi Gras.

I hope they do get some semblance of a decent life back. I wish I could feel optimistic that they will, but I'm too old and too wise, I'm afraid.

[lovuian]

8. Imagine knowing as a nurse loyally staying at thehospital

in dire times and you get sued later for negligence

[AnneD]

13. Countless other...

Doctors and Nurses have been watching that brewing court case. I personally am friends with with a Nurse that went through that hell. After they were finally rescued from the roof top-she was days finding her family. She will NEVER,EVER stay behind again, and I don't blame her. They call it abandonment if you leave and take away your license ....and they call it manslaughter if you stay to help and take away your license . Hell I'll give them that piece of paper if that's my choices. Screw that.....

[superconnected]

10. Our failure and thief strikes again.

He just doesn't seem to know how not to get blood on his hands.

[MadMaddie]

12. I am glad the coroners results were released and cleared the

Medical professionals....

And I also ask if the doctors and nurses would have left the terminal patients to die natural deaths and used their limited supplies to help those that had a chance to live... the same people would have tried to prosecute them for neglect...

The fault lies at the WH footsteps with * legacy in a pile of shit.....

I hope these people get their lives back.

[AnneD]

16. I can only speak for myself...

but if I were terminal and in that situation, I would not want to stay on and I would be disappointed if anyone sued my care givers, because they truly cared for me. Any judgments that need to be made will be between God and me. I am a believer in free will-and even if my actions are pre ordained-then God already knows what I would do. I think that God is compasionate enough (more so many that hold themselves out to be righteous) and he knows my heart. I think he is bigger than some of these petty fools make him out to be.

[The Flaming Red Head]

14. This one will affect all of us.

And these were elderly patients in a wing of the hospital designated for people just about at the end of their lives. Narcotic analgesics for these types of patients is often double what a healthy person would receive. The longer you take a narcotic, the higher the dose you need to stay out of pain.

What scares me is the effect this will have on hospice and people suffering at the end of their lives. Medical professionals won’t be able to give dying patients adequate pain relief at the end for fear of being charged with manslaughter.

This one will affect all of us.

[fidgeting wildly]

15. That's my fear also.

And what if we face another Katrina scenario? Will even fewer good people be willing to stay and help the sick and elderly, because they fear prosecution?