Doctor and nurse testify at Bean Trial

    Four prosecution witnesses testified on the first day of Lori Jo Bean?s trial Wednesday afternoon. Bean is on trial for manslaughter in connection to the death of 78-year-old Joye L. Gentzler in 2008. The first witness was Susan (Chance) Reynolds, who treated Gentzler as a patient in 2006 as a nurse practitioner at the Washington Family Medical Clinic. The second was Kevin Kleopfer, a medical investigator who looked into Gentzler?s death at the home of her caretakers Lori and Rodney ?Joe? Bean of Ainsworth.   

    Washington County Attorney Barbara Edmondson then called Dr. Robin Plattenberger to the stand. Plattenberger has acted as the Washington County Medical Examiner for approximately six years. Plattenberger said she asked Kleopfer to investigate Gentzler?s death, and that she herself viewed the body once it was transported to the Jones-Eden Funeral Home. Plattenberger said the skin on Gentzler?s face was stretched, and that she did not appear to have any muscle mass or fat, remarking that she could see ?every little bone.?

    Plattenberger testified that Gentzler?s right upper arm was not solid and that she had bruises on her body, although Plattenberger could not remember where. She removed some of Gentzler?s clothes to reveal that she was wearing a soiled adult diaper. Plattenberger asked Dr. Marcus Nashelsky at the University of Iowa to perform an autopsy, which he did. 

    On cross-examination, Plattenberger said that Gentzler?s slacks and sweater were clean at the time.

    The state?s fourth witness was Justine Buckingham, who was a public health nurse in the county from 2004 to 2007. Buckingham testified that she began seeing Gentzler?s brother Bill Robuck as a patient in the summer of 2005. At the time, Robuck and Gentzler shared an apartment. Buckingham said she was concerned about Robuck?s lack of clothing, and that she purchased a pair of overalls for him. Before she bought him clothes, Robuck had two or three pairs of pants to wear. Gentzler laundered his clothes, which she did frequently because of his lack of clothing, according to Buckingham.

    Buckingham testified that she was concerned about Gentzler and Robuck getting enough food because neither one could drive. She said that there were few things in their cupboard or refrigerator. Buckingham started seeing Gentzler as a patient in February 2006. Gentzler had just been prescribed medication, and Buckingham was worried she wouldn?t take the pills on her own. She set up a medication schedule for Gentzler, and was later told by Joe Bean that she didn?t need to do that anymore. Buckingham visited Gentzler three more times, in March, August and November of 2006. She said she checked to see if Gentzler was following her medication schedule, and she was. Buckingham said Gentzler could be unsteady on her feet at times, but that she was usually OK. She said Gentzler did not use a walker and that she did not report falling down in the past.

    Buckingham gave Gentzler what she called a ?mini-mental status exam,? which she said is a quick test of cognitive impairments. The exam revealed that Gentzler was not certain of where she was, nor did she know what day or month it was, although she did know that it was winter.

Buckingham believed that Gentzler suffered from dementia. She said Shirley Rath, the Home Care Director of Washington County Public Health, wrote the word ?dementia? on Gentzler?s referral form. She said Gentzler did not know her family history and would often be confused. She said Gentzler did not require much assistance from Robuck, although Robuck did remind her to take her medication. Buckingham said Gentzler was able to dress herself.

     Robuck died in December 2006, after which Gentzler lived with the Beans. The program that paid for Buckingham?s visits with Gentzler only covered four visits, which Buckingham had already exhausted. However, Buckingham attempted to stay in touch with Gentzler, and testified that she called the Beans but failed to make contact with them or Gentzler. She said she was concerned about Gentzler?s health, and particularly her nutrition. Buckingham did not have any further contact with Gentzler after their visit on Nov. 21, 2006.

    Buckingham reported seeing Joe at the Gentzler and Robuck apartment a few times, and he gave her an ?uneasy feeling.?

    Bean?s defense attorney Eric Tindal then cross-examined Buckingham. Buckingham said that Gentzler and Robuck never mentioned Lori Bean, only Joe Bean. She testified that, to her knowledge, Joe Bean was in charge of their finances, and that Joe Bean stopped Gentzler?s Medicaid application. She also said that Susan Chance was the person who presented the referral to public health.  

    Edmondson asked Buckingham on redirect examination if she saw who cared for Gentzler once she moved in with the Beans, and Buckingham responded that she didn?t know. Buckingham further stated that Lori Bean was not present when she visited Gentzler and Robuck.

This is the second of a two-part series on the first day of the trial. For part one, see the Dec. 2 edition of The Washington Evening Journal.