Albany, US – 10th January, 2019: The parents of a man whose body had been decomposing for 38 days inside a Troy supportive living facility are suing the non-profit owner, its former director and several employees for negligence and improper handling of a body.
Yvonne Ketter-Walls said she felt compelled to file the suit on behalf of her late son, 27 year-old Raolik Walls, after a state investigation into Hudson Mohawk Recovery Center and its staff concluded that neglect had occurred, but held no one accountable in a meaningful way. It was filed this week in Rensselaer County Supreme Court.
"I have some closure because people and the facility were found neglectful," she said. "But I don't have full closure because they have not yet been penalized or held accountable. They're getting a free pass."
Raolik Walls first checked into the recovery center's residential program for men in November 2017 after completing a treatment program for drug addiction. On Dec. 3, he spoke with his family. But when no one had heard from him six days later, his aunt visited the facility. A staff member told her Raolik had left several days earlier.
The family became worried, and filed a missing person's report with Troy police. They began searching for Raolik around the Capital Region to no avail. On Jan. 11, 2018, more than a month later, they learned the truth: Raolik had never left the facility. A pest control worker entered his room and found his body on the bed.
The condition of the body made it difficult for medical examiners to determine a cause of death. Toxicology tests found no traces of illicit drugs in his system. It's believed that his heart stopped during the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2017.
To this day, Ketter-Walls says she doesn't know how her son's body could have gone undetected for so long.
"Staff told my sister that Raolik left and left his key in the door," she said. "Now, it turns out after the fact, they really just checked the wrong room. But shouldn't you know where people are assigned, and how do you not check this other room for so long?"
The New York State Justice Center, a state agency tasked with investigating allegations of abuse and neglect at state-run or licensed facilities, concluded an investigation into the case late last year. A spokeswoman for the agency said she could not release details about its findings.
However, a determination letter sent to the family in mid-December says investigators confirmed allegations of neglect against at least two employees, who are identified in the lawsuit as former executive director Thomas Bendon and current residential director Aubree Graves.
Neither could be reached for comment Thursday, and leaders at the Hudson Mohawk Recovery Center did not respond to requests for comment.
Source: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Parents-file-suit-against-Troy-center-for-13525027.php