The Knox County State’s Attorney’s Office filed murder charges today against a former nursing home employee for his involvement in the battery of an elderly resident.
Police reports show 26-year-old Claude R. Shinall had been employed at Marigold Rehabilitation and Health Care in October of last year when Gene Farnsworth, a resident at the nursing home, was choked and beaten.
Officers arrested Shinall last November for aggravated battery of an elderly person. The victim died after being moved to a Monmouth nursing home.
With today’s charges, Shinall faces four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter in addition to the battery charge.
Murder in the first degree carries a sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison.
Shinall is held at the Knox County jail on $150,000 bond awaiting a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. next Tuesday. He is represented by Chief Public Defender Dave Hansen.
