PHOENIX (AP) — A state grand jury has indicted a Phoenix caregiver who is accused of second-degree murder and vulnerable adult abuse.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office says 52-year-old Valer Catuna is accused of assaulting William Griswold, who was a patient of the Artemis Adult Care Home that Catuna owns. Prosecutors say the alleged assault occurred on the morning of Oct. 21, 2020, and the 53-year-old Griswold died that evening from his injuries.
Investigators initially said there were no signs of foul play and Griswold’s death was a “medical event.” But the Maricopa County Medical Examiner later performed an autopsy and ruled the death a homicide from blunt-force injuries.
