Minnie Graham, an elderly resident of the Winters Park Nursing Home in Garland, suffered abuse from two workers until her family installed a hidden video camera.
98-year-old Minnie Graham—who spent the last few years of her life at the Winters Park Nursing Home located in Garland, Texas—reported to her family that she was experiencing abuse from one or more of the caretakers at the facility. The family’s concerns led to action after they noticed black eyes, several bruises, and a split lip.
When the family confronted the workers, they claimed that Graham had fallen out of her wheelchair several times, causing the injuries. Skeptical of the their answers, Graham’s granddaughters rigged a clock with a hidden camera and placed it in her room in order to capture the abusive behavior. What they saw was horrifying.
The footage showed Tiller hitting, mocking, and cursing at Graham as she screamed in pain. Graham was also sprayed with water and had a towel shoved in her mouth, which had previously been used to cleanse her. Ekechukwu (who goes by the name Louis) was also seen hitting Graham in the video.
kechukwu and Tiller were both indicted for a felony injury to the elderly after Graham’s family filed a nursing home abuse report against the workers. Ekechukwu was arrested, but Tiller continued to work at different facility while police said they were unable to track her down. She was reportedly later convicted for a felony with five years of probation and had her nursing home license revoked.
“I just don’t know how people can be so heartless and careless,” Ballard told KDFW. “There was justice, in a way – we hope that she won’t ever be able to do that again,” Ballard said.