Sentencing date set for former Clarksburg V.A. nursing assistant

Stock photo.

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The scheduled sentencing date for the former nursing assistant who has admitted to killing at least eight veterans who were patients at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center located in Clarksburg is February 18, 2021.

A brief status hearing in the case of Reta Mays, 46, of Harrison County, was held via Zoom on Wednesday morning with U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh presiding as part to a follow-up to an October hearing.

Attempts to collect all past medical records for Mays prior to sentencing continue within the U.S. government, Judge Kleeh was told.

Attorneys for the government have until Dec. 4 to provide a report on efforts to finalize those collection efforts. Another status hearing may be scheduled, if necessary, after that.

In July, Mays entered guilty pleas to seven counts of murder along with another count of assault with attempt to murder in connection with the deaths of eight veterans who were given unprescribed doses of insulin.

The victims were previously identified as Robert Edge Sr., Robert Kozul, Archie Edgell, George Shaw, Felix McDermott, Raymond Golden and patients identified with the initials R.R.P. and W.A.H.

Mays had worked at the Clarksburg VA from June 2015 until her removal in July 2018.

As a nursing assistant, her job was to monitor the vital signs of patients, test blood glucose levels and sit with patients who required observation.

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed and sent to President Donald Trump for consideration legislation requiring reports on policies and patient care at health facilities within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act was initially passed in the U.S. Senate as a step toward greater transparency in response to the deaths.