In New Orleans, the two owners of St. Bernard Parish nursing home have been indicted for the drowning deaths of 35 nursing home residents. The owners are accused of ignoring an evacuation order that could have saved residents' lives. "Katrina's massive storm surge flooded the one-story nursing home to the ceiling within 20 minutes, overwhelming the elderly residents, many of whom were confined to beds or wheelchairs." Rescue workers saved 29 elderly patients but could not reach all of them in time. The defendant's lawyer says his clients have done nothing wrong, noting that they felt it was too risky to move the residents.
For more on the indictment:
- read the report from the Times-Picayune
PLUS: New developments in the case against Anna Pou, the New Orleans physician accused of euthanizing several patients during Hurricane Katrina, are presenting prosecutors with challenges. Report