Veterans

VA Hospital Serial Killer Gets Multiple Life Sentences

May 13, 2021Hannah Ray Lambert
Reta Mays mugshot, VA hospital murders

Reta Mays, 46, was sentenced for murdering seven veterans in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Mugshot courtesy of West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority via West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A former nursing assistant who murdered seven elderly veterans and tried to kill an eighth at a Veterans Affairs medical center in West Virginia received multiple life sentences Tuesday for her crimes.


Reta Mays, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court July 14, 2020, to seven counts of second-degree murder and one count of assault with intent to commit murder. In exchange, the government promised not to seek the death penalty, according to WVNews.


The killings happened in 2017 and 2018 while Mays was working the night shift at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, according to local news reports. She sat one-on-one with her victims before injecting them with insulin, causing hypoglycemia. She was not authorized to administer medicine but has admitted to giving several patients insulin with the intent to kill. Her victims ranged in age from 81 to 96. Most had served during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and two served in World War II.


Reta Mays press conference veteran murder
The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia holds a press conference following Reta Mays’ sentencing Tuesday, May 11, 2021, for the murders of seven elderly veterans at a VA hospital in Clarksburg, W.Va. Screenshot via YouTube/USAO-NDWV.

Dozens of family members attended Tuesday’s sentencing hearing in the courtroom and through a video conference, offering gut-wrenching statements, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting.


“You took some of the greatest men of their time — our loved ones, our veterans — and you preyed on them when they were at their weakest,” said Melanie Proctor, the daughter of 82-year-old Army veteran Felix McDemott, whom Mays murdered. For that, you are a coward. […] May God forgive you, as I never will.”


Defense attorneys argued Mays suffered from medical and mental problems throughout her life, including post-traumatic stress and sexual trauma from while she was on active duty in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, local news outlets reported. 


va hospital clarksburg street view
The Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, W.Va. Photo via Google Maps, October 2018.

US District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh acknowledged Mays’ mental health struggles but pointed out that the murders were calculated. Over the course of the killings, Mays conducted numerous internet searches on female serial killers and watched a Netflix series titled Nurses Who Kill, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting.


“Several times your counsel has made the point that you shouldn’t be considered a monster,” Kleeh said. “Respectfully, I disagree with that. You’re the worst kind of monster. You’re the kind of monster that no one sees coming.”


Investigators identified more than a dozen unexplained deaths at the medical center during Mays’ employment there but found “sufficient evidence” to charge her with only seven deaths and one assault. Her eighth victim, Russell Ross Posey, died too, but prosecutors couldn’t prove the insulin injection was the reason, WVNews reported.


In addition to spending the rest of her life behind bars, Mays has been ordered to pay $172,624.96 to the victims’ families, the VA hospital, Medicare, and insurance companies, NPR reported.


Read Next: What Is America’s Red Line for Military Action After a Cyberattack?



Hannah Ray Lambert
Hannah Ray Lambert

Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Intel
US: War Crimes on All Sides in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

March 20, 2023Associated Press
military pilots cancer rates
Military
Higher Cancer Rates Found in Military Pilots, Ground Crews

In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft b...

March 20, 2023Associated Press
whiskey pour
Military
Veterans Lead the Way Among America’s Growing Craft Distilleries

American veterans are taking the lessons they learned in the military and changing the craft distilling industry.

March 20, 2023Mac Caltrider
military suicide veteran suicide
Military
Military Moves To Cut Suicides, But Defers Action on Guns

In a memo released Thursday, Austin called for the establishment of a suicide prevention working gro...

March 17, 2023Associated Press
us military drills japan-south korea
Intel
US, Partners Stage Military Drills Amid Japan-South Korea Talks

The Sea Dragon 23 exercises that started on Wednesday will culminate in more than 270 hours of in-fl...

March 17, 2023Associated Press
leo jenkins a word like god
Entertainment
‘A Word Like God’: New Book From Army Ranger Leo Jenkins

In his latest poetry collection, Ranger-turned-writer Leo Jenkins turns away from war to explore cosmic themes of faith, fatherhood, and art.

March 16, 2023Mac Caltrider
us drone
Intel
Pentagon Video Shows Russian Jet Dumping Fuel on US Drone

The Pentagon on Thursday released video of what it said was a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a ...

March 16, 2023Associated Press
10th Mountain Division
History
‘Climb to Glory’ — A History of the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division

From the mountains of Italy to the mountains of Afghanistan, the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division built its legendary reputation by fighting in some of the most inhospitable places in the world.

March 16, 2023Matt Fratus
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved