From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Denton [TX] Record-Chronicle:

The death of a resident of the Denton, Texas, State School has been ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy released by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

The autopsy said Janice Campbell, 53, died Friday of head injuries she received in an assault about two weeks ago. An official at the medical examiner’s office said Campbell was taken from the institution to a hospital on March 3.

A state official said the incident was an accident, not an assault, but declined to release specific information to protect residents’ privacy.

Campbell’s death comes as Texas is considering statewide reforms of its 13 institutions for people with disabilities, after a federal investigation found widespread evidence of abuse, neglect, preventable deaths and denial of civil rights.

A federal investigation of the Denton facility last spring found evidence of staff failure to protect clients from abuse, neglect or mistreatment, failure to investigate allegations of abuse or neglect, and failure to provide healthcare services, prompt treatment and followup care.

See also:

• Officials: Woman died after colliding with another resident at Denton State School — Dallas Morning News
• State calls death at state school an accident — AP/Houston Chronicle

This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 1:08 pm and is filed under abuse, commentary, institutionalization, intellectual/developmental disabilities, law enforcement, neglect, OCD, public attitudes, Texas institutions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.