Former Employee Of Claremore Veterans Center Named In Murder Indictment

A former employee of the Claremore Veterans Center, accused of neglect that led to the deaths of two patients, was named in a Multicounty Grand Jury indictment unsealed Monday.

Monday, June 3rd 2013, 6:14 pm

By: News On 6

Former Employee Of Claremore Veterans Center Named In Murder Indictment

A former physician's assistant is in jail in Rogers County, accused of neglect that lead to the deaths of two veterans last year.

The men lived at the Claremore Veterans Center. Monday a grand jury handed down an indictment against the man who was supposed to be caring for them.

Kenneth Adams, 60, faces two counts each of second degree murder and caretaker neglect. His wife is the former administrator of the center, who resigned following the deaths.

"My attorney said to me, he said 'You can't help your husband, he's gone. But maybe you can help other veterans so this doesn't happen again,'" Frances Minter, Jay Minter's wife, told News On 6.

The last day of Jay's life was the first day Frances started fighting for change at the Claremore Veterans Center.

Jay was scalded to death in a whirlpool bath in May 2012. An investigation revealed the thermometer was broken and the water may have been as hot as 144 degrees.

"My husband had his legs up in the air and he was screaming," Frances said.

But a multi-county grand jury believes that wasn't the only problem.

According to the indictment, Ken Adams was called to Minter's bedside to help, and knowingly withheld medical aid as Minter suffered. The life-threatening burns covered more than half of Minter's body.

The indictment states Adams knew the center didn't have the adequate resources to treat Minter, but Minter was kept there and died 10 hours later.

"His last words to me was, 'They burned my legs! They burned my legs!' which haunt me the rest of my life, because he never talked to me after that," Frances said.

Adams is also accused of lying to the medical examiner to avoid an investigation into Minter's death.

Louis Arterberry died from a stroke a month before Minter.

Court documents state Adams was called to help, but instead of examining Arterberry, Adams ignored the patient, and spent the time trying to set up a sexual liaison with another person instead.

Arterberry's family says they had no idea how he was treated until much later, and think he would have had a better chance if Adams had acted immediately.

The veterans' families settled claims against the state for $175,000.

Ken Adams is being held on a $100,000 bond.

He's due back in court a week from now and was ordered to surrender his passport.

Read the indictment