Two employees of a Connecticut nursing home have been arrested after investigators alleged their actions contributed to the death of a 93-year-old resident who wandered outside in freezing temperatures and was not reported to emergency responders for more than an hour after she was found.
According to the Windsor Locks Police Department, Papy Bibo, 53, a registered nurse, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with physical evidence. Uchenna Obi, 46, a certified nursing assistant, faces charges of reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.
The arrests are linked to the February death of Margaret “Peggy” Healey, a 93-year-old resident of Bickford Health Care Center in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Both employees surrendered to police on Monday.
Resident Left Facility During Early Morning Hours
Investigators said Healey left the nursing home through an unsecured door during the early morning hours while temperatures ranged between 0 and -1 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to arrest warrants, surveillance cameras captured Healey leaving the facility at approximately 1:55 a.m. She was dressed only in pajamas and sneakers.
Police said the video showed Healey collapsing onto a sidewalk and into a nearby snowbank just three minutes after leaving the building.
Authorities believe she remained outside in the freezing conditions for several hours without staff realizing she was missing.
Woman Found Face Down in Snow
Healey was reported missing at approximately 4:45 a.m. Officers later found her face down in a snowbank on Main Street, not far from the nursing home.
Investigators said Healey was still showing signs of life when staff located her around 5:11 a.m. Instead of immediately contacting emergency services, staff allegedly carried her back inside the facility and attempted to warm her body.
Police said 911 was not called until 6:23 a.m., more than one hour after she was discovered.
According to investigators, the delay in requesting medical assistance became a major focus of the criminal investigation.
Medical Examiner Ruled Death Was Caused by Hypothermia and Heart Disease
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Healey died from environmental exposure combined with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Family members previously expressed concern about how long Healey had remained outside in the extreme cold.
Her niece said the family was devastated and questioned how the elderly woman could have been outside in below-zero temperatures wearing only sleepwear and sneakers.
Police Say Staff Delayed Calling 911
During the investigation, police interviewed nursing home employees about what happened after Healey was brought back inside.
According to Bibo’s arrest warrant, one employee told investigators that Bibo allegedly stated, “I’m not calling 911 because we will all go to prison.”
Bibo denied making that statement during his interview with police.
However, investigators concluded that waiting more than an hour before calling emergency responders represented a serious departure from accepted nursing standards.
The arrest warrant states that police believe Bibo acted with extreme indifference by delaying emergency medical care for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, creating a grave risk to Healey’s life.
Nursing Assistant Accused of Failing to Verify Resident
Police also accused certified nursing assistant Uchenna Obi of failing to properly perform required overnight safety checks.
According to investigators, Obi was responsible for checking residents in her section of the facility every two hours during the night.
She reportedly told police that she looked into Healey’s room and saw the resident’s walker and blanket, but did not physically confirm that Healey was actually in bed.
Authorities allege that failure allowed Healey’s absence to go unnoticed for several hours.
Police Chief Calls Arrests Step Toward Accountability
Windsor Locks Police Sgt. Jeff Lamson told local media that investigators believe staff initially attempted to handle the situation internally because they feared facing disciplinary or legal consequences.
He said authorities believe employees tried to manage the situation themselves before realizing emergency services had to be contacted.
Following the arrests, Windsor Locks Police Chief Eric Osanitsch said that although nothing could reverse Healey’s death, the criminal charges represent an important step toward accountability and may provide some measure of closure for her family.
Bond and Upcoming Court Date
Following their arrests, Papy Bibo was released after posting a $25,000 surety bond, while Uchenna Obi was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.
Both defendants are scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on August 7, where the criminal case will proceed.
