Nurse indicted in sex abuse case
By Marty Roney
Montgomery Advertiser
More info:
SIGNS OF ABUSESigns to look for that may indicate abuse of elderly patients at nursing homes or assisted living facilities:
If the person suffers from dementia, visit them regularly to check on their condition and care.
Ask questions of the caregivers if you see bruising or unexplained marks.
Be aware of weight loss or personality shifts. Abuse victims will often become fearful or paranoid, and their physical activity may decrease.
Check on their appearance. They should have clean clothes and bed linens. Their physical hygiene needs to be attended to and their hair should be washed regularly.
People that can't communicate, and who don't have advocates who regularly visit, stand a better chance at being abused.
Source: Bruce Lieberman, assistant attorney general at the Alabama Attorney General's Office.
More info:
REPORT ABUSETo report the abuse of an elderly person contact your local authorities or call the Attorney General's Office's Medicaid Fraud Division or Family Protection Unit at (334) 242-7300. Related news from the Web
Latest headlines by topic:
• Elderly
• Family
PRATTVILLE -- An Elmore County registered nurse has been indicted by the Autauga County grand jury on a charge of abusing an elderly nursing home patient.
Marion Sheppard, 50, of 105 Jackson St., Elmore, was arrested late Thursday night by Elmore County sheriff's deputies. He later was transferred to the Autauga Metro Jail. He remained in jail Friday under a bond of $150,000, jail records state. He was indicted on a charge of abuse of an aged or disabled adult, courthouse records state. The law covers the sexual, physical or emotional abuse of an elderly or disabled person, said Jennifer Jordan, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case.
Sheppard allegedly sexually abused an elderly woman who was a resident of the Resurrection Catholic Nursing Home in Millbrook. Millbrook police are investigating the case, which was reported in October 2003. The Autauga County grand jury took up the matter because the nursing home is in the Autauga County portion of Millbrook.
"It's been almost two years since this happened. It's been a long time coming," said Willie Mae Nichols, daughter-in-law of the victim. The victim now lives in Florida, where she can be closer to her son and daughter-in-law. "We got the call that he was indicted Friday morning, and it's like a tremendous weight has been lifted off us. Our fear was that Sheppard would abuse other patients, because he still has his nursing license."
Sheppard could not be reached for comment. Court records state he hasn't hired an attorney, or had an attorney appointed for him.
Sheppard's nursing license is still in effect. It hasn't been pulled because he has never been convicted of anything, a spokeswoman for the state's nursing board said. This isn't the first time he's been accused of sexually assaulting elderly women. About four years ago he was arrested and charged with abusing an Elmore nursing home patient.
That case was dismissed because the victim couldn't identify her attacker. In fact during the trial, she pointed to Circuit Judge John Bush, who was presiding, and said he was her attacker.
"Marion Sheppard is the worst kind of predator because he preys on defenseless people," said District Attorney Randall Houston. "Both of these women suffer from dementia and could not fend him off. We want to get a felony conviction on his record so his nursing license will be pulled. He just didn't wake up one morning and decide to abuse elderly people, we feel he has been doing it for years. It's our job to make sure he can't work around potential victims ever again."
Family members noticed injuries on the resident of the Millbrook nursing home and contacted authorities.
Sheppard's bond is almost an unheard of amount for a Class C felony, which carries a punishment range of one to 10 years in prison. Bush, who presided at Sheppard's trial, was the presiding judge for the recently completed grand jury session. Bush wouldn't comment on the bond amount of anything related to the case, because it could come before him.
"I won't speak for Judge Bush, but we asked for a high bond and he gave it to us," Houston said. "I think he saw the severity of this charge and felt a high bond was necessary."
For the Nichols family, the indictment is being seen as a victory.
"If there is any good to come out of this, it will be that Marion Sheppard can no longer be a nurse. The indictment is a big step in that direction," Willie Mae Nichols said. "Fortunately my mother-in-law doesn't remember the attack. But we don't want any other families to have to go through something like this."
