Police identify 2 former Windsor Locks nursing home employees arrested in resident's death

The two former employees of the now-closed Windsor Locks nursing home who were arrested months after a 93-year-old resident with dementia wandered out of the nursing home and later died after being found in the snow have been identified, according to arrest warrants.

In February, Margaret Healey walked out an unlocked door at the Bickford Health Care Center in freezing temperatures in the middle of the night, according to authorities. She was found in a snowbank more than three hours later.

After Healey’s death, the state ordered the nursing home to remove the remainder of the patients from the facility. It has since closed.

Registered nurse Papy Bibo, 53, of Manchester, is charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with physical evidence. Uchenna Obi, 46, of Newington, a certified nursing assistant, is charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. Both turned themselves in to Windsor Locks police on Monday.

Healey walked out of the facility during the early morning hours of Feb. 8 while temperatures ranged from -1 to 0 degrees, according to the arrest warrants. Healey, who had dementia and a history of wandering, was wearing only pink pajamas and white sneakers when she left the building, the warrants stated.

Investigators said surveillance video showed Healey leaving through an unsecured west entrance around 1:58 a.m. She collapsed on a sidewalk three minutes later and remained outside for more than three hours before staff found her around 5:11 a.m., according to the warrants.

According to Bibo’s warrant, staff found Healey showing signs of life and brought her back inside the facility instead of immediately calling 911. Bibo said he did not make a 911 call because “they could go to prison,” according to the warrant.

Police said Bibo waited until 6:23 a.m. to call emergency responders after staff unsuccessfully tried to warm her for more than an hour.

“Bibo showed extreme indifference that by waiting 1 hour and 10 minutes before calling 911, he recklessly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death to Margaret Healey,” the warrants stated. “RN Bibo’s conduct was a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable registered nurse would have administered in the situation.”

Obi’s warrant said she was responsible for checking on Healey during overnight rounds but admitted she did not visually confirm Healey was in bed during a required 3 a.m. resident check. Instead, investigators said, she assumed Healey was sleeping because she saw her walker and blanket, according to Obi’s warrant.

Investigators said in Obi’s warrant that another employee reported finding Obi asleep in the facility’s dining room during the overnight shift. Obi later told investigators she sometimes slept there during her breaks. Police allege that conduct contributed to Healey’s death.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Healey’s death an accident caused by hypothermia due to environmental exposure, with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease listed as contributing factors.

Bibo was released on a $25,000 surety bond, while Obi was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond. Both are scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Aug. 7.

Police are holding a press conference at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and will release more details during it.

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