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The first complaint
89-year-old woman tells her daughter she was molested by former nursing aide James W. Wright.
NHC-Bristol Administrator Charlotte Wilson calls home office in Murfreesboro, Tenn., for advice on handling the allegation. -
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Wright banned from patient's room
The daughter bans Wright from mother’s room. -
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Dec. 2000 to Oct. 2004
On two separate occasions, a nursing aide walks in on Wright as he stands next to a flustered, 92-year-old woman lying in bed.
In each incident, the aide finds a silver-dollar-sized hole in the woman’s incontinence diaper after Wright leaves the room. (Wright is later convicted for one incident.) -
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Events in 2002
View Wright's indictment.Two nursing aides walk in on Wright as he is standing near an 85-year-old woman sitting on a toilet.
“He hurt me, he hurt me,” the woman says as she points to her privates. (Wright is later convicted for this attack.)
An aide first tells Charge Nurse Helen Roberts and then former Director of Nursing Evelyn Nunez.
Nursing aide later sees Wright grab the chest of the same 85-year-old woman. -
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Events in July of 2003
Wright SuspendedA male patient tells former nurse Diane Lewis that he was sexually assaulted by Wright. (The Virginia Board of Nursing later cites this incident when suspending Wright’s license.)
Lewis tells former Director of Nursing Nunez.
Nunez asks the man if he had been touched inappropriately, but ends investigation when he doesn’t answer. -
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Events in September of 2004
Wright SuspendedNursing aide finds suspicious bruise on a 91-year-old woman. Former nurse Amy Edwards investigates. (The Virginia Board of Nursing later cites this incident when suspending Wright’s license.)
Wright tells her the bruise might have been caused by a procedure called a disimpaction.
Years later, Edwards can’t remember whether Wright claimed to do the procedure, or said a nurse did it. This is significant because Wright is not licensed to do a disimpaction. -
Final Written Warning
Nurse Edwards drafts “Final Written Warning” against Wright because of his rough bedside manner and for eating patients’ food. This means one more mistake, Edwards later tells the Herald Courier, and he is supposed to be gone. -
Addendum
Nurse Edwards adds addendum to Wright’s final warning. It details a nurse aide’s recollection of twice finding silver-dollar-sized holes in the 92-year-old woman’s incontinence diaper between 2000 and 2004. -
Suspicious behaivor
Nurse notes that a 78-year-old woman prefers to stay near nurse’s station at 11:30 p.m. instead of going to bed. -
Woman tells doctor of attempted rape
The 78-year-old woman reluctantly tells private doctor that someone tried to rape her. She describes a tall man with tattoos crawling on top of her in bed. This description does not fit Wright. -
Family tells NHC
Woman’s family tells NHC about attempted-rape claim. -
Woman taken to emergecy room
Family takes the 78-year-old woman to Bristol Regional Medical Center emergency room. Bristol Virginia Police Department dispatches officer to NHC-Bristol to take initial report. Police reports do not state whether or not officers talked to victim and family. It notes only that officer spoke to NHC worker. -
80-year-old assaulted
License suspendedWright sexually assaults an 80-year-old woman. (The Virginia Board of Nursing later cites this incident when suspending Wright’s license.) -
Woman frightened
During Wright’s replacement work shift, the 80-year-old woman is frightened by the sound of two nursing aides snapping on latex gloves, and claims to have been sexually assaulted.
Both aides tell a supervisor. During the following work shift, the 80-year-old woman is frightened by the sound of former nursing aide Cynthia Aldrich snapping on her latex gloves, and claims to have been sexually assaulted. Aldrich tells her supervisor. -
Allegations reported
A nurse tells the woman’s family about assault allegation. NHC-Bristol supervisors question employees. NHC Regional Vice President Ray Blevins calls the 80-year-old woman’s daughter. -
Woman rushed to hospital, officers take report
Family rushes woman to BRMC emergency room.
Bristol Virginia Police Department dispatches officer to take report. -
Aides complain
Aldrich and three other nursing aides complain in writing that Wright has sexually assaulted patients. -
Wright applies for a new job
Reference reccomendation
Wright applies for job at Grand Court Assisted Living in Bristol, Va.
Franklin gives Wright a solid recommendation when Grand Court calls to check his references. -
Aldrich complains to doctor
A frustrated Aldrich snaps at on-call house doctor, telling him to do something about sexual assaults. This happens during a meeting with nursing aides about burnout and includes an admonition to respect supervisors. -
Criminal background checked
Crimal background check
Virginia State Police, as a basic service for Grand Court, checks Wright for a criminal background.The prescreen turns up “no identifiable records.” -
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90-year-old attacked
Former nursing aide Patty Davenport sees Wright fondle a 90-year-old woman as she sits in a wheelchair. (Wright is later convicted for this attack.)
Davenport tells a dismissive Charge Nurse Roberts.
Another nursing aide sees bruises on the same 90-year-old woman and shows them to Roberts, who again is dismissive.
Wright is banned from entering the woman’s room. -
83-year-old claims rape
An 83-year-old woman, while talking to a nurse, claims to have been raped. -
Social worker involved
NHC-Bristol social worker questions 83-year-old woman about rape claim. -
Adult Protective Services says claim unfounded
Bristol Virginia Adult Protective Services lists rape claim as unfounded. -
Attack witnessed, dismissed
Later conviction
Davenport sees Wright molest an 81-year-old blind woman. (Wright is later convicted for this attack.)
Charge Nurse Roberts tells Davenport that she misunderstood what she saw.
Davenport tells Franklin. -
Witness quits
Davenport called in from day off to cover for Wright, who is out sick. Davenport quits. -
Wright leaves NHC
Wright leaves NHC -
New job
Wright begins new job at Grand Court. -
Woman at Grand Court reports rape
An 83-year-old woman living at Grand Court walks into the Bristol Virginia Police Department lobby and claims to have been raped in her bed two days earlier. (The Virginia Board of Nursing cites this incident when suspending Wright’s license.)
Supension Wright worked from 2- 11 p.m. the night of the reported attack.
View his time card. -
Franklin resigns from NHC
Franklin submits resignation and leaves NHC without fanfare. -
Second background check reveals nothing
Background check.
Virginia State Police run second criminal background check on Wright for Grand Court. The search turns up “No Identifiable Records.” -
Wright fired
Grand Court fires Wright. -
Application at IHOP
Wright applies for waiter’s position at International House of Pancakes in Bristol, Va. -
Late July, Wright confesses
Wright signs a confession for state investigators. -
Wright arrested
Police charge and arrest Wright. -
Wright enters Alford plea
Wright offers an Alford plea on four counts of aggravated sexual battery. The plea acknowledges prosecutors’ evidence is sufficient to convict him without admitting guilt. -
Franklin fined
Franklin reprimanded and fined $1,500 by Virginia Board of Nursing for failing to report abuse accusations. -
Formal review
After an informal hearing for Wilson, the Virginia Board of Long-Term Care Administrators sends the case to the Attorney General’s Office for a formal review that is treated like a court case. -
Wright sentenced
Wright's sentence
Bristol Circuit Judge Larry B. Kirksey sentences Wright to 60 years in prison for four counts of aggravated sexual battery.