{"id":62052,"date":"2021-05-13T15:42:25","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T15:42:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:42:19","slug":"can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before former Veterans Affairs nursing assistant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2021\/05\/11\/former-va-health-worker-sentenced-life-in-prison-for-murdering-seven-patients-via-insulin-poisoning\/\" target=\"_blank\">Reta Mays<\/a> to life in prison for murdering patients at a West Virginia VA hospital, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Kleeh blasted her as a \u201cmonster,\u201d a calculated killer who used available opportunities to commit \u201cevil\u201d against elderly, infirm veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But while he emphasized the i<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/07\/14\/former-va-health-worker-charged-with-multiple-murder-counts-accused-of-poisoning-patients-with-insulin\/\" target=\"_blank\">ntent behind the crimes<\/a> falls solely on her, he also noted that VA officials aren\u2019t blameless in the tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe VA is responsible for its own institutional failures here,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have and will continue to pay for their problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mays started her seven life sentences in prison on Tuesday, the end of a three-year legal saga which brought new pain and only partial closure to the families of the victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The department\u2019s reckoning after the discovery of a serial killer in their midst, however, will likely continue for years. VA leaders are still processing what mistakes were made over a 12-month period which allowed Mays continued access to vulnerable patients and the insulin injections she used to murder them, and how to prevent similar actions in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/05\/11\/former-va-health-worker-sentenced-life-in-prison-for-murdering-seven-patients-via-insulin-poisoning\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/killernurse.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Former VA health worker sentenced to life in prison for murdering seven patients via insulin poisoning<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Investigators found multiple failings within the VA medical system that contributed to her crimes going unnoticed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is no excuse for this imposter to have been able to do what she did for as long as she did,\u201d said Tony O\u2019Dell, an attorney representing 11 families whose loved ones were possibly abused by Mays during her time at VA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cReta Mays got what she deserved: no mercy, which is exactly what she showed each of her victims. However, missing from today\u2019s hearing are the many families who lost loved ones on that [hospital] floor which still do not have answers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Problems at Clarksburg<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a 100-page report released this week, a VA watchdog found \u201cserious pervasive and deep-rooted clinical and administrative deficiencies\u201d at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Inspector General Michael Missal said he hopes department officials don\u2019t view the findings as isolated issues at one problematic site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[This report] is really for every medical center director to look at and see whether or not they have the same problems,\u201d he said. \u201cHopefully it can be used as lessons that other facilities should be focused on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the more damning findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 Facility hiring officials did not complete some background checks on Mays which would have shown previous allegations of excessive force while she worked as a prison security officer. \u201cThey may have not even hired her,\u201d Missal said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 Medication rooms and carts were not carefully monitored by hospital staff, \u201cgiving [Mays] unauthorized access to the insulin used in these deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 Clinical evaluations of the insulin overdoses were \u201clacking.\u201d Julie Kroviak, deputy assistant IG for healthcare inspection, said that officials \u201chad opportunities to use their data in a way that could have prevented cases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, Missal said, medical center leadership failed to see a pattern of problems in large part because of poor communication among staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor good, quality medicine, you would have huddles and be talking about patient outcomes,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t really see that here. Physicians and nurses, it was more talking about administrative issues, things like when somebody was set to be discharged as opposed to really getting into [issues] they saw.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/04\/09\/va-staffer-used-personnel-records-to-stalk-and-harass-female-vet-now-lawmakers-demand-reforms\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VA.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">VA staffer used medical records to stalk and harass female vet, lawmakers demand reforms<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The incident again raises concerns about a culture of misogyny and abuse at VA.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Beyond West Virginia<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those types of issues have haunted the department for the last seven years, when then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was forced to resign following a department-wide wait time scandal which found some medical center administrators more focused on meeting patient quotas than meeting their health needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials across three separate White House administrations have worked to rehabilitate that image and correct those kids of cultural problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, then-VA Secretary David Shulkin forced the retirement of two regional directors and reorganized several regional offices in an effort to correct serious procurement and safety issues across numerous medical center campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether the West Virginia tragedy prompts similar changes remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement, VA spokesman Terrence Hayes praised law enforcement for their work on the case (outside officials repeatedly said that VA was fully cooperative in the criminal investigation) and promised they are working to enact reforms in response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat happened at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center was devastating and heartbreaking, and we want to assure veterans and families that we are determined to rebuild their trust and reassure them that this will not happen again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA leaders did fire or reassign several staffers in the wake of revelations about the deaths, including former medical center director Glenn Snider Jr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the latest report, the department said the regional chief medical officer will \u201cassess the results and conduct appropriate follow up for any cases that resulted in the standard of care not being met. Appropriate corrective action will be taken if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IG report listed 15 security and safety recommendations for the West Virginia site, all of which VA says will be put in place by mid-2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But wider reforms across VA have been scarcer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials said they are \u201cevaluating the storage and security of high-alert medications and reviewing the use of a rescue medication flagging system to evaluate unexplained adverse patient events\u201d for all hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are also looking into more complex data collection and reporting, with the goal of establishing automated systems to allow \u201cnotification of potential mortality and safety triggers.\u201d Health officials said insulin overdoses are unusual, and have questioned why multiple cases in a single VA hospital ward did not raise concerns earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the failed hiring background checks for Mays, VA officials said the department has made \u201csignificant strides since 2018 to establish consistent standards for personnel security and in ensuring that work related to vetting applications for suitability of employment is properly resourced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2021\/02\/09\/new-va-secretary-promises-unity-around-work-to-reform-veterans-programs\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21040653160202.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">New VA secretary promises unity around work to reform veterans programs<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Denis McDonough was sworn in as the new VA Secretary on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Ongoing issues<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mays was sentenced for second-degree murder in the deaths of seven patients and attempted murder in the death of an eighth. But her incarceration doesn\u2019t fully close VA\u2019s legal issues in the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least six of the families have settled wrongful death lawsuits against VA (Kleeh said at a cost of more than $5 million to the department so far) but O\u2019Dell said at least five other families still have pending cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Members of Congress have also promised increased oversight on the issues brought up in the IG report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe last several years have been incredibly painful for families and loved ones of the veterans murdered at the Clarksburg VA medical center,\u201d Sen. Joe Manchin, <a href=\"http:\/\/d-w.va\/\" target=\"_blank\">D-W.Va<\/a>., said in a statement this week. \u201cNow it is time to ensure the negligence we saw in Clarksburg never happens again and to hold those accountable who looked the other way while this happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe quality of care our veterans receive at West Virginia VA medical centers and VA facilities across the nation is of the utmost importance, and I am determined to ensure every veteran has access to the safe, quality healthcare they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Any of those potential reforms will take place with Mays behind bars. Kleeh ordered her seven life sentences to be served consecutively, with no opportunity for parole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn the significant investigation that was conducted \u2026 with respect to the failings at the VA medical center in Clarksburg, there was a [nurse] who was interviewed talking about how insulin was just laying on top of medical carts,\u201d the judge said. \u201cIt was obviously a problem, and created the opportunity for something bad to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo one could have envisioned something as horrific as this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department&#8217;s health system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":79877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,22,23,89,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-62052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"Z7S7D7ASU5BMLFXRYDMXV4JKYY","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst? - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department&#039;s health system.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department&#039;s health system.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-13T15:42:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:42:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-05-13T15:42:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T11:42:19+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1251,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Disaster | Advertiser Safety\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\",\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst? - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-05-13T15:42:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T11:42:19+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department's health system.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/13\\\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Veterans\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"veterans\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst? - Navy Times","description":"In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department's health system.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?","og_description":"In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department's health system.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2021-05-13T15:42:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T11:42:19+00:00","author":"Leo Shane III","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Leo Shane III","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?","datePublished":"2021-05-13T15:42:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T11:42:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/"},"wordCount":1251,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Disaster | Advertiser Safety","Home","Middle Column","News","Newsletters","Pentagon &amp; Congress","Veterans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/","name":"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst? - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2021-05-13T15:42:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T11:42:19+00:00","description":"In the wake of a former staffer being imprisoned for murdering seven patients, VA watchdogs warn that changes need to be made across the department's health system.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2021\/05\/13\/can-veterans-affairs-officials-spot-another-serial-killer-hiding-in-their-midst\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Veterans","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/","ad_zone":"veterans"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Can Veterans Affairs officials spot another serial killer hiding in their midst?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20196755802696.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62052"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97357,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62052\/revisions\/97357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62052"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=62052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}