Coroner Now Says Natural Causes Led to Hospice Death

Reversing his earlier conclusion that fanned an investigation into the so-called Angel of Death hospice nurse, county Coroner Brian McCormick now says that a man whose death was suspicious in fact died of natural causes.

Darlene Leon, the hospice nurse, said Thursday she feels vindicated by the latest coroner’s finding and believes that the investigation of her will be dropped.

In a statement, McCormick said Homer Schreiber--a 94-year-old cancer victim whose body was exhumed for detailed toxicology testing--suffered a kidney failure because of cancer several days before he died.

Because of the kidney failure, McCormick said, the therapeutic doses of codeine Schreiber was receiving as part of his pain-killing regimen accumulated to toxic levels.

Additionally, McCormick said, renal failure “also probably explains the high level of morphine found in Mr. Schreiber because of the body’s natural ability to metabolize codeine into morphine.”

Leon, who was implicated by a co-worker in the drug overdose deaths of as many as 17 of her hospice patients, said she felt vindicated by McCormick’s latest conclusion--even though she has yet to hear from the coroner himself. No charges have been filed by authorities against her.

“As far as I know, (the investigation) is over with, if it’s decided now that Mr. Schreiber died of natural causes,” Leon said. “But I wish the coroner or someone would come out and say no crime has been committed. Everyone was so adamant to hang me, but no one wants to come out and say I’m cleared.”

On June 2, McCormick announced that based on a toxicology exam, Schreiber had died of an overdose of morphine and codeine--and not of cancer as initially believed. Schreiber’s cause of death was then amended from “natural” to “undetermined.” Because of the findings of an inordinate level of drugs in Schreiber’s body, McCormick ordered toxicology studies on disinterred bodies of other persons treated by Leon during her six months as a hospice nurse caring for the terminally ill.

In his new statement, McCormick said his latest conclusion was based on a more recent review of Schreiber’s medical records.

Leon said she was frustrated that all of Schreiber’s records were not adequately reviewed before the coroner released his initial findings. “In the medical profession, you have to have all your facts together before you make a decision,” she said. “But because of all the media attention, I’m sure he felt a lot of pressure on him and maybe it hampered him.”

McCormick did not return calls to his office.

A San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department official said detectives would not issue a statement on the investigation until the final toxicology studies are completed by McCormick’s office, but reiterated that there is no evidence that Leon had committed a crime.