Men To Stand Trial On Murder Charges For Fungal Meningitis Outbreak
November 21, 2022
Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com
Two Massachusetts men charged in a 2012 fungal meningitis case that killed 11 people will stand trial in Livingston County next spring.
56-year-old Barry Cadden and 54-year-old Glenn Chin are charged with 11 counts of second-degree murder in the case, which involved contaminated epidural injections of the steroid methylprednisolone, compounded and produced at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachsetts - which was owned by Cadden and where Chin was employed as the supervising pharmacist.
Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Hatty denied motions from Cadden and Chin, who were seeking a bill of particulars to be produced by "the People”. Cadden also filed a motion to suppress computer evidence seized by law enforcement after the execution of federal search warrants at the NECC, which Judge Hatty also denied.
The 11 Livingston County fatalities occurred at the Michigan Pain Specialists. According to a press release by the office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the 11 victims at the Livingston County clinic included Donna Kruzich, Paula Brent, Lyn Laperriere, Mary Plettl, Gayle Gibson, Patricia Malafouris, Emma Todd, Jennie Barth, Ruth Madouse, and Karina Baxter.
Nessel said the defendants disregarded sterility procedures in the compounding of sterile medications, created fraudulent cleaning records and falsified scientific testing results. In her words, “Eleven Michiganders tragically died as a result of a lack of concern for patient safety." Nessel said her "department looks forward in taking the next steps to seek justice for the victims and their families.”
Status conferences in both cases are scheduled for April 14th at 8:30am.