Gillette police investigating nursing home deaths

GILLETTE (WNE) — The Campbell County Coroner’s Office released more information Tuesday about the 88-year-old woman who died of exposure at the Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center — and revealed police have been investigating another death since November.

Staff at Legacy found Judith A. Duvall in an enclosed, secured outdoor area at the center on Jan. 10. Legacy called the police at 5:10 a.m. that day. Duvall was a member of the Memory Care Wing. Campbell County Health has since fired three people after an internal investigation into this incident.

Coroner Paul Wallem wrote the cause of Duvall’s death was found to be “exposure/hypothermia." He wrote that the coroner’s office “will not be commenting on the events leading up to this incident,” or the precise time of Duvall’s death.

Wallem also wrote that the Gillette Police Department has been investigating the death of 66-year-old Rhonda Parker, who died Nov. 29 last year. Police Deputy Chief Brent Wasson said the department began investigating the death that same day.

Parker’s cause of death was determined to be “toxicity or overdose of a known prescription medication,” Wallem said.

In a statement emailed to the News Record on Tuesday, hospital representative Bree Richardson said CCH responded quickly during the November incident to begin an investigation, and added the person responsible had been fired.

"The situation was immediately reported to the appropriate authorities, and as a result of our internal investigation the contract employee involved had their employment terminated," the statement read. "Additionally, the individual’s license was reported to the state."

This story was published on February 4, 2025.