Probable cause found in nursing home murder case

tmpe6ce963e-d7b4-4667-b08c-74e94f0e5183-jpg
tmpe6ce963e-d7b4-4667-b08c-74e94f0e5183-jpg

A Knox County judge found probable cause in the case of a former nursing home employee accused of killing an elderly resident.

Claude R. Shinall appeared in court today with his counsel, Chief Public Defender Dave Hansen and private attorney Elisa Nelson.

The 26-year-old Galesburg man faces four counts of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter for his involvement in the death of 79-year-old Gene Farnsworth, who was in the care of Shinall’s employer, Marigold Rehabilitation and Health Care, in October of last year.

At State’s Attorney John Pepmeyer’s questioning, Galesburg Police officer Mark McLaughlin described Shinall’s depiction of the incident leading to the suspect’s arrest.

“He said that he ended up placing his hand on Mr. Farnsworth’s neck and pushing down on it while he was in bed,” McLaughlin said. “He demonstrated with his hand. He told me, ‘I did not constrict my hand, but I put it on his neck and pushed my weight onto his neck.'”

Farnsworth was transported to the Monmouth Nursing Home where he died in November. Shinall was initially charged with aggravated battery of an elderly person.

McLaughlin said autopsy reports show Farnsworth had died due to “blunt force neck trauma.”

Following Judge Stephen Mathers’s finding of probable cause, Shinall entered a plea of not guilty and jury trial demand.

Recommended Posts

Loading...