May 17, 2018 - 6:33 AM
OTTAWA, Ohio - Two employees of an Ohio nursing home where a woman died after wandering outdoors on a frigid winter night have pleaded not guilty to charges.
The Lima News reports 36-year-old Rachel Friesel and 20-year-old Destini Fenbert, both of Pandora, were allowed to remain free on personal bonds during a Putnam County court appearance Wednesday.
They face involuntary manslaughter, forgery and gross patient neglect charges in the death of 76-year-old Phyllis Campbell.
A state investigation found that Campbell left Hilty Memorial Nursing Home in Pandora around 12:30 a.m. Jan. 7 through a courtyard door equipped with an alarm. The employees told investigators they falsely documented two overnight bed checks.
The low temperature in Pandora on Jan. 7 was zero degrees.
Messages left Thursday with Friesel and Fenbert's attorneys weren't immediately returned.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018