Last week, ABC13 reported how a former Houston VA nurse was charged for lying about patient rounds. Federal prosecutors said a patient she was caring for hanged himself during the time she lied about visiting him.
Since this story broke, ABC13 has been trying to get answers. Not just about the former nurse, but all the complaints made at the Houston VA.
The grieving family wants answers as well as they try to make sense of what happened. The man who died at the hospital was James Duplechain.
His son, James Duplechain Jr., can't help but beam with pride when he talks about his dad.
"A man amongst men, which means he loved everyone," Duplechain explained.
A man who not only loved his family, but also his country and served in the Vietnam War.
He said he had to defend our country because he had to protect the Americans," Duplechain said.
While he protected his country, Duplechain feels helpless because he couldn't save his dad. Last summer, federal prosecutors said Duplechain was at the Houston VA where he hanged himself.
Documents show he was found unresponsive by his nurse, Christiana Ogbonnaya. A woman is now facing charges.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said she marked that she visited Duplechain three times that night. Rounds they say she lied about.
Since the charge was announced, ABC13 has tried to get more details about Ogbonnaya. Eyewitness News went to her home, and called her, but she hung up when we started to ask questions.
Charging documents show Ogbonnaya started to work at the Houston VA in 2019. A VA spokesperson said she's no longer employed there, but it's unclear when she was let go.
The Houston VA and Texas Board of Nurses won't tell us if any complaints were made against her. The state board says it's aware of the allegations, but said her license is valid, which means she could still be working.
Something that doesn't make sense to Duplechain's son. "Because it can cause other families, other fathers, mothers, grandchildren, daughters, sons, wives, too much that you'll never get over," Duplechain said.
A VA spokesperson said over the last five years, the med center facility has had four hotline complaints that triggered inspections for a variety of reasons. We've asked about all the complaints, including those involving nurses, but the VA told us it needs more time to provide those answers.
Time Duplechain wishes he still had with his dad. "These last six days, it's unbelievable," Duplechain said. "It's like a scary movie. It's like something that never ends. It's waking me up out of my sleep."
A son's pride that's turned into a quest to find out what happened, and why his nurse is charged.
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