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How to protect loved ones in care facilities
A caregiver is charged with murder and accused of killing a disabled man for settlement money. FOX 26's Abigail Dye reports how you can protect yourself and loves ones from these facilities.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Carroll Richardson is now charged with murder in the death of 37-year-old, Daniel Howey, a wheelchair-bound individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
On October 13, 2020, Chambers County detectives located Howey's body in Dutton Lake on FM 2354. He had been reported missing out of Harris County around the time his body was located.
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Investigators say that Howey had been under the care of Carroll Richardson at the Caring Hands Group Home in Harris County. Detectives later discovered that Howey had received a large settlement from a personal injury case in May 2020.
Investigators say evidence suggests Richardson systematically depleted Howey’s large settlement through various transactions, including large sums of money directed to himself, his associates, and his business.
They say a witness provided critical details leading up to, and during the course of the murder of Howey, which took place in Chambers County. Detectives say that Howey had threatened to report Richardson for the theft of his settlement money.
Detectives were also able to identify an accomplice of Richardson, who they identified as Shaun Sandles, of Harris County. A Grand Jury indicted both Richardson and Sandles on May 30, on charges of murder.
In 2020, Houston police shut down the boarding homes Richardson was operating. He racked up a slew of charges from the investigation, accused of stealing from and even assaulting elderly patients. But, he was never charged with operating a boarding home without a license, because it was legal until 2021.
"In a nursing home or assisted living facility, you get a licensed caregiver, those are licensed by the state. Boarding homes are not," said Chad Shaw, Assistant Chief Prevention Harris County Fire Marshal.
He says boarding homes and group homes are regulated through municipalities, requiring regulation since 2021.
"They have to obtain the permit, but they also have to be in compliance with the boarding home standards," he said.
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He says that the fire marshal, along with the sheriff's office, conduct inspections of these facilities. They make sure the regulations are adhered to. If violations pile up, they do have the authority to shut homes down.
"But it's not our goal here in Harris County," he said. "We believe these are needed in our community for our people."
He says the most important thing for those looking for a care facility is to know who regulates the facility and what care they're allowed to provide.
You can learn more about state-regulated facilities like nursing homes and assisted living facilities here and search for providers here.
You can learn more about municipality-ran facilities and search for permits here.