Nurse accused of removing patient’s leg without permission pleads not guilty

In Pierce County District Court on Thursday, a woman who was a nurse accused of amputating a dying patient’s leg without first obtaining the patient’s consent pleaded not guilty to three felony counts.

Mary C. Brown, 38, of Duran, is charged with intentionally causing grievous bodily harm to an elderly person and causing mutilation. Both of these offenses carry an increased penalty because the victim was an elderly person.

Brown was also charged with a new charge of intentional patient abuse to inflict grievous bodily harm, and the fact that the victim was an elderly man served as an aggravating circumstance in the case. During her arraignment on Thursday, she pleaded not guilty to all charges against her.

On December 6, 2022, Brown was released from custody in exchange for a $150,000 bail bond. One of the conditions for her release was that she must not have any contact with her former place of work, the Spring Valley Nursing Home, or the victim’s family.

According to online court documents, Brown, who was working as a nurse at the time of the event, is not eligible to work in any nursing position, whether for hire or as a volunteer. This includes helping patients in any way. On December 6, Brown sent a letter to Judge Rohl asking him to exclude the media from court hearings.

According to online court records, Brown is being defended by Philip Helgeson, who practices law in Prescott and was appointed to represent him in the case on December 7, 2022. Helgeson argued that the elements or claims of disorder or serious bodily harm were not reached in the case, but during a court appearance in January, Judge Elizabeth Rohl found reason to tie Brown up for trial. The judge said she found reason to tie Brown up for trial.

On June 4, 2022, investigators were notified of the death at a nursing home in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, known as the Spring Valley Medical Rehabilitation Center, according to documents filed with the allegations in November.

In this case, the body was sent for an autopsy due to the unusual circumstances of the death of a person. The Pierce County Medical Examiner saw that the foot of the deceased, a 62-year-old man, was not connected to his body, but lay next to him in the funeral home.

As a result, the medical examiner ordered an autopsy. According to the conclusion of the forensic medical examination, the man was taken to a nursing home in March 2022. This happened after he collapsed at his home when the heat went out and he had severe frostbite on both legs, which led to his hospitalization. The man’s medical file indicates that his leg was amputated in May 2022.

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