DURHAM, N.C. — Police are investigating a Duke Hospital patient’s death as a possible homicide after hospital workers found a syringe with a suspicious substance in the patient’s bed.
Thirty-year-old Cheryl Suber, who suffered from sickle-cell anemia, died of a cardiac arrest on Oct. 5, reports WRAL.com. Suber’s boyfriend, David Bass, was the last person in her room before her death. When he was leaving Suber’s room, Bass told nurses to check on the patient, according to search warrants. However, the nurse found and unresponsive Suber and immediately issued a Code Blue alert.
While attempting to resuscitate Suber, hospital workers found a syringe labeled ‘saline,’ although it contained colored and opaque liquid that conflicted with medications given out in the unit where the patient was being treated.
Hospital workers said the deceased had been walking around the hospital and was in relatively good health shortly before she died.
For his part, Bass told police that he immediately contacted hospital personnel when he noticed something was wrong with his girlfriend; however, nurses said Bass was in the room roughly 10 to 20 minutes before the Code Blue alert was issued.
Hospital personnel are not suspected in the case.
